The Whole Road
by Keirube
Summary: The story follows closely to the anime and manga of Attack on Titan. There will be plenty of spoilers throughout, particularly in the later chapters, but it will also have my twist on things. At the very end of the story, I will add in a couple of my own characters.
1. A Requiem for Determination Part 1

**The Whole Road**

By: Keirube

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

**Chapter 1: A Requiem for Determination Part 1**

The recruitment lines for the military were always fairly long. Unless one was born into wealth, the only respectable living one could hope for is one in service to the king and the nobles of society.

Many hope to join among the ranks of the Military Police; a section designated for the personal protection of the nobility and maintains order within the walls. Its headquarters are established in close proximity to the king, assuring anyone lucky enough to become a MP soldier will live in lavish luxury and protection.

The next best option is within the Garrison Unit. Their duties include guarding the walls from any attack. Of all successful new recruits, this is where the bulk end up. Though not quite as great a living as in the MP, you're still guaranteed in having decent quarters and decent pay. Plus the walls pretty much guard themselves.

The remaining unit, the one where few if any consider when first enlisting, is the Survey Corps. Only the very brave and very foolish decide to come here. Also known as the Scouting Regiment, the major duties here entails exploring the outside world, and making attempts to regain territory from the dominant creatures known as titans. Many say this section of the military was created to thin out the herd of humanity, hoping the titans will be satisfied with the fools who dared to fight them. Yet some see it as a hope that one day, some fool would succeed in his idiocy, and fulfill the dreams they have in regaining the world. One such fool was present in today's recruitment lines…..

Eren Yeager is a brash young man who has his heart set on freeing the world of the existence of titans. Never one to run away when threatened, he has overcome many hardships. The titan scourge is just another nail that needs to be hammered down on the construction of his life.

With him are his two best friends, who are the only ones he have left in his life. Mikasa Ackerman stood to his right. She became his adoptive sister after an incident that lead to the death of both her parents. Eren rescued her from her captives, and ever since that time she saw Eren as the most important person in her life. She wants to see him be successful in everything he sets his heart to. Often fighting for his dreams as equally as passionate as he does. Directly behind them stood Armin Arlet, who wasn't the most physically imposing guy in the crowd. Eren and Mikasa would often be seen in protecting him from bullies due to his inquiring mind concerning the world. That was in fact one of the things that Eren loved about him. Armin was different, just like him, finding it hard to often make friends. It was the three's fortitude that drew them together.

Now after the attack on the Shiganshina District, and the subsequent fall and attempted retaking of the loss territory that was once protected by Wall Maria, they were all alone. Eren with the lost of his mother, Mikasa's foster mother, and Armin losing his grandfather in the latter expedition, they managed to live on and survive. However, Eren still holds out hope his father, Grisha Yaeger, is still alive somewhere.

"The military thanks you for your commitment. The staff down this hall will hand you your uniform and give the location to your designated barrack." said the recruiter pointing to his right. The young man at the registry desk, who was a few spots ahead of Eren, nodded as he finished his registration and turned to pick up his uniform. As the lines were steadily moving, Armin took notice to the number of people.

"Hey Eren" He said. "You think the military can house all of us?"

Eren was inwardly pondering the same thing, but it wasn't much a concern of his. Having the chance to become a soldier and ride with the Survey Corps was his dream, so it didn't matter if he had to live under a solid roof or in a tent.

"It'll be interesting, but I could sleep on the ground if I had to." Eren responded. Armin cringed at the thought, seeing insects crawling into his ear as he slept. Eren turned to Mikasa and asked, "What about you Mikasa? Of course I imagine they have separate housing for female and male recruits. We might not see each other as often, but I guess your quarters could be better than ours."

"Like you it doesn't matter that much to me, but I hate that we'll be separated." Mikasa stated. Eren chuckled a bit and said, "It's not going to be so bad. You'll get a chance to meet new people and make friends. You don't have to worry about me all the time, and Armin is resourceful as well." Eren's words drew a slight scowl on Mikasa's face. She knew he was right, but Eren had a tendency of making enemies, and she made a promise to his mother that she would protect him.

The person ahead of Eren finished signing up, and now it was his turn to place his name and take the first steps in accomplishing his goals. The staffing officer greeted Eren with a smile and thanked him in advance for his services as was customary to all who enlisted. Eren signed his name and began walking toward the area down the hall to pick up his uniform, but was stopped as the recruiter read his name out loud.

"Eren Yeager. That's a famous surname around these parts. Are you happened to be related to Grisha Yeager by any chance?" The recruiter asked. Eren nodded and said, "Yes Sir. He is my father." The recruiter smiled and took a moment to walk over to Eren and pat him on the shoulder.

"Your father has saved many soldiers lives with his medical knowledge and one of finest doctors to ever work in the field. I had a chance to meet him a few times over the years. How is he?" He inquired.

Eren beamed at hearing the work his father did for the military, but his eyes turned downward when asked about his father's wellbeing.

"My father has been missing since the attack on Shiganshina two years ago. He has been declared dead by the government, but I believe he's still alive, out there somewhere. He's strong so I…" Eren's voice began to trail. The recruiting officer again pat him on the shoulder and said, "He's definitely strong, and I imagine you inherited his strength as well. I wish you good success on your training as a cadet, and I know you'll make your father proud!" He gave Eren the military salute, slightly stunning him that an officer would salute him in spite of just signing up a few moments ago.

"Thank you Sir!" He replied, trying to mimic the exact stance of the salute he received as best he could.

As the recruiter nodded and walked back to his booth, Eren caught a glimpse back at Mikasa and Armin, who were grinning at him sheepishly. He also noticed several others looking at him curiously, and realized he was still in his stance, saluting to no one in particularly. Blushing with embarrassment, he walked over to receive his trainee uniform.

After all the new recruits finished their registration and day turned to night, Eren and Armin received their answer as to how the military would house everyone. Armin laughed half-heartedly and whispered "At least we don't have to worry about ants crawling up our ears and nose from sleeping on the ground." Eren with a face somewhere between frustration and anger responded, "I rather have a damn slug slither its way into my nose than Connie's big toe!"

All of the bunks that were built comfortably for one person were presently being shared by three or four people. Armin and Eren had the unfortunate honor of turning in the night with a recruit named Connie Springer, who tended to fight ghosts while he slept. Amazingly, he managed to do a somersault in his slumber and his foot is now in direct contact with Eren's face. "I guess this is part of our training to. We'll just have to endure it for now and become stronger willed." Armin reasoned with an increasingly aggravated Eren. Connie started rubbing Eren's ankle and talking in his sleep.

"Yeah baby, that's how daddy likes it!" Connie purred. Eren was about to blow a fuse. Armin still smiling thought inwardly that it was going to be a long adjustment period to their new lives as recruits…

The next morning, everyone gathered on the drilling grounds, in their uniforms, and waited for instruction. Every three years the military trains about 5 regiments, sometimes more based on need. Eren, Armin, and Mikasa were finally old enough to begin their training, and are apart of this year's 104th Training Squad.

Even with the lack of sleep the previous night, the bustling of the morning activity kept Eren focused. Assistant instructors made sure everyone was in place and lined up in preparation to receive the morning introduction from the head instructor. Looking around at all the enlistees, Eren could feel a sense of comradery among them. He found Mikasa out of the crowd, looking as confident as ever, still wearing the scarf he gave her years ago. Smiling to himself, he wondered if there was anything she couldn't do.

One of the assistant instructors walked onto a raised platform, and whistled to the large group to stand at attention. A few seconds later, the head instructor walked up the platform. Eren was very familiar with the man, as he was the former commander over the Survey Corps. As a child, Eren's father would hoist him up on his shoulders so he could see over large crowds, as the Recon Corps passed by on the way to their many expeditions. Unfortunately the crowds were rarely as festive and inviting when they returned, as there was often little reason to celebrate.

The assistant instructor saluted her superior, and stood off to the side, giving the retired commander the stage to speak. "Morning cadets, I trust all of you had a comfortable night's rest!" He said speaking in a loud mocking tone. "Don't fret however; things will get more at ease as time goes along. Most of you will be running far away from here with your tails between your legs in the first couple days, if not today!"

You could see in the faces of many of the cadets there were terrified at the sight of the imposing figure before them. It is not every day you see a man with as fierce eyes as this man possessed. Almost as if he could pierce through one's soul with a glance. "Officially I'm your head instructor, Keith Shadis, but unofficially I'm the devil incarnate." He continued. "I'm sure all of you will one day spit on the grave of who ever it was that decided to put you in my little hell, if you survive." With that he turned to face two assistant officers standing off to his left. They immediately took up their stance and saluted.

"This is the military salute. I want each of you burn this image into your brains! You stand with your feet forward and your chest out. Place your left arm behind your back, and pound your right fucking fist into your heart!" He himself demonstrated before them.

"To some within the military, this is just something they do. Yet to me, when you've seen the things I have, having many men and women give their lives for the cause of mankind, this salute is the definition of one's integrity! If you cannot salute properly and with confidence, then quite frankly you're nothing but ants looking to be squashed under my feet."

"Now" Shadis commanded, "I want all of you to salute me this instant!"

In unison, all the cadets performed the salute, sending a thunderous noise into the air as fists pounded against their chests. "Good, good. Now hold that position until I'm ready for you to drop it. If anyone drops their arms before I say so, they will immediately be dismissed from the premises."

Instructor Shadis walked down the platform and began walking through the rows of cadets. Every now and again he would stop in front of a trainee, and grill them for their reasons on why they enlisted. Armin happened to be one of the unlucky ones that faced his fury.

"Looks like I found the runt of the litter. What's your name son?" He ordered.

"Armin Arlert, Sir!" Armin replied, trying his best to sound composed.

"Armin Arlert? Tell me cadet, do you realize your name and surname begin with the same two letters?" He chuckled. "A simple name for a simple brain I suppose. Yet I have too many names to remember among you little bastards, and can't afford to recall the dumb ones. I'll make a simple name simpler, and call you Ar²." Armin began to flinch a little at his new "name", but stood fast lest his arm began to drop from his chest.

"Tell me Ar², where do you hail from and what drove you mad enough to enlist?" asked the former commander of the Survey Corps.

"I come from the Shiganshina district Sir! After the attack on Wall Maria two years ago and the subsequent loss of my grandfather, I've decided to fight back and join the Recon Corps Sir!" Armin stated. Hearing from a couple of rows back, Eren was a little surprised to hear Armin wanting to join the Corps. He always imagined he might have settled for the Garrison Unit like their friend Hannes, whom they always saw as something of an older brother and protector.

Shadis looked with a scowl on his face. "A runt like you wishes to join the Scouting Regiment? The world must be coming to an end if the best we can put out there on the field are shrimps like you. STRAIGHTEN UP THOSE FEET AND PUFF OUT YOUR WEAK CHEST, YOUR BEGINNING TO SLACK IN MY PRESENCE!" He shouted, causing Armin to immediately stiffen up in his salute. It also caused a chuckle from a cadet in the row behind Armin. Shadis noticed, and walked over to the young man.

"You find something funny about Ar²'s determination cadet?" Shadis asked.

"No Sir, but if I may speak freely, he's only going to wind up getting himself killed. Its crazy of him wanting to join the Corps." said the smiling recruit. "In the end, he might have been better off being eaten by a titan in the attack two years ago, would have saved himself the trouble."

Armin's eyes began to water as he listened, but held himself from crying and remained steady in his salute. Eren heard the comments made about his friend, and was strongly tempted to fight the offending cadet on the spot. Shadis continued to stare at the smirking cadet before finally saying, "True enough. So let's hear about yourself and reasons for enlisting into the armed forces."

"My name is Jean Kirstein Sir. I'm from the Trost District. My plans are to graduate within the top ten of my class and join the Military Police within the interior." Jean finished. Shadis cupped his right elbow in his left hand, and rubbed his chin.

"Ah, now you sound like a level headed cadet. I appreciate your grit!"

"Thanks Si…..urgh!" Shadis head butted Jean before he could finish. He stumbled back a step and started to move his hands toward his head, but quickly realized what he was doing and re-clenched his right fist against his heart.

"Good job Kirstein." Shadis commented on him keeping his salute. "However I must point out that if you wish to join those stiff pricks in the interior, you should learn to become unmovable. The little runt might be clinically insane, but at least he has the balls to stand his ground against those beasts prowling on the outside. You're nothing but a little cunt seeking to hide behind walls."

It was Eren's turn to chuckle, but he was smart enough to chuckle on the inside. Shadis continued marching along, this time his crosshairs fell on a trainee named Marco Bott.

"Sir I wish to join the Military Police to offer my services to the king!" Marco shouted.

"I'm sure the king can find better looking service to keep his bed warm at night than some wide-eyed freckle pumpkin such as you!" Shadis spat. Next up was a girl named Mina Carolina.

"For some reason I always find it hard to gauge how serious to take someone who shows up in my training regiment in pigtails." Shadis calmly stated. Red with embarrassment she replied, "I'm sorry Sir." Shadis waved her comment off and said, "That's alright. Your face is plenty manly enough. You're manlier than Ar² and Kirstein combined." All three named cadets scowled.

Shadis continued to walk among them. Some he managed to get them to drop their salute due to being thoroughly embarrassed by his comments for them, to which he kicked them out of line and told them to head home. One cadet became angry at the comments made to him, and attempted to hit Shadis. This cadet misjudged Shadis' middle age for weakness, and was promptly eating dirt and was dismissed. Yet still, others he passed by, seeing the consistent posture of their salute and the sharpness of their eyes. He passed by cadet Mikasa Ackerman, cadet Reiner Braun, cadet Ymir, cadet Annie Leonhardt, cadet Bertolt Hoover, and a few others.

He finally walked along the row where Eren was. While he was sure most cadets were inwardly hoping he would pass them by, Eren wanted the chance to state his belief and reasons for joining the military. So Eren kept poise, looking straight ahead. In the moment of truth, as Shadis came walking by, he took one glance at Eren with his eyes, and continued walking on.

Even though he was disappointed he didn't get a chance to voice his beliefs, he was excited Shadis thought well of him even without knowing why he enlisted. Not only that, but Eren had the pleasure of seeing the head instructor's next target squirm.

"Well, what do we have here? Nice buzz cut son. State your name, hometown, and business here." said Shadis.

"The name's Connie Sir, Connie Springer! I come from Ragako village, located within Wall Rose. I'm here to become a man and make my village proud!" Connie affirmed.

Shadis ran his hand across Connie's head and said, "Well that's admirable son. I can also see you got a head start with this shaved dome of yours." Shadis impressively picked Connie off the ground by his head to take a better look at him. Connie grimaced, feeling the weight of his body pulling down on his captive head. However, though it was a little tough, he maintained his salute as best he could.

"Yes, I didn't truly become a man until my 50s, and it cost me all my hair. Yet you're way ahead of me in that area when I was your age." commented Shadis, setting the lad back on his feet. He then began pulling and stretching the skin around Connie's eyes. "Nonetheless" He stated, "You still have many sleepless nights and battlefields filled with body parts ahead of you before you develop eyes like mine. Don't worry cadet; you're well on your way in being a man like me one day!"

"Uh, thanks Sir." Connie uttered, this time with less enthusiasm.

All of a sudden, Head Instructor Keith Shadis saw something spectacular. A couple of trainees to the right of Connie, was a girl, lowering her head to the fist against her heart, taking a bite out of what looked to be a potato. Shadis walked over and looked her straight in the eyes.

"What is your name cadet?" Shadis asked calmly.

"Sasha Blouse Sir. mphmmh" She stated while chewing.

"Tell me Blouse, what exactly are you doing?" Shadis asked, still eerily calm. Sasha looked a little puzzled.

"I'm eating Sir." She answered, greedily taking another bite.

"That I can see, what I'm finding trouble in understanding is why you thought it appropriate to eat anything before I say so, much less eat while I'm giving instruction?"

Sasha swallowed the piece she was chewing, and said, "I'm sorry Sir, but the potato was getting cold while we were waiting for you this morning, and my stomach was desperate for its content." As she spoke, some of the cadets around her started to fear for her life as they witnessed a vein bulge in Shadis' head.

"Well, I must say that must be one good hot potato." Shadis whispered.

"It is Sir!" Sasha added with gusto. She then took a big chunk out of it. Holding the piece in her mouth she inched closer toward Shadis, not wavering to keep her right hand close to her heart. "Here-mphmh, you-can-phm-have-the-mmphpm-rest." She sputtered, some pieces flying from her mouth.

For a moment there was silence, and then "DROP THAT FUCKING POTATO RIGHT NOW AND RUN AROUND THIS DAMN COMPOUND TILL YOUR STOMACH IS EMPTY OF ALL IT'S CONTENT, AND DON'T YOU DARE DROP THAT SALUTE AS YOU GO!"

Sasha dropped the potato and took off like a wild bronco, putting as much distance between her and Shadis as possible. Shadis rubbed his temple and sighed. He then stated, "Between the runt fighting titans and now this potato girl, the world really must be coming to an end."

Shadis then walked to the end of his current row of cadets, and continued walking in the same direction for a short while before turning to see the overall group of trainees in one take. He sees almost two-thirds of the group was still present from when he began his instruction.

"Well cadets, it appears we lost most of the small fry already. I have half a mind in getting rid of the potato eater, but I have a feeling I'm doing her family a favor by keeping her here." He stated to the crowd. "Excellent job in holding your salutes, you all may be at ease."

Everyone let their arms drop to their sides. Some looking as though they were numb, but they wouldn't dare show it on their faces in front of their instructor.

"Alright, your breakfast should be ready in the mess hall. You are all dismissed!"

The first day on the training grounds went almost as fast as it came. Before anyone knew it, everyone was back in the mess hall eating their dinner. As relationships began to grow throughout the day, the eating quarters were filled with much more conversation than was held at breakfast and lunch.

A bunch of cadets surrounded the table where Armin, Eren, and Mikasa sat. Each curious about the titans the young trio saw from the attack on their hometown two years ago.

"So how scary were all the titans that entered Shiganshina Armin?" Mina asked.

Armin thought for a second and responded, "I supposed all of them were scary in their own way. Many had deformed faces and some even let out hideous roaring sounds." Mina scrunched her face in at the thought. "Wow that sounds horrible. I think it's very brave that you want to join the Recon Corps after experiencing the titans first hand." she said, touching Armin's hand.

Armin began to blush and stuttered out, "W-w-well I'm not sure I'm that courageous. B-besides, it was Eren that inspired me to join up." Everyone turned to Eren, who was eating and listening serenely to Armin's telling of the attack on their hometown.

Connie sprung up and asked Eren, "Yeah enough of this normal titan crap. I heard you got a look at the Colossal Titan. Is he as big as they say?"

Eren swallowed his soup and stated, "He was tall enough to see over the wall, and was also able knock a chunk out of it assumingly with his foot." A cadet named Thomas Wagner exclaimed, "I heard he was big enough to step over the wall." Eren shook his head and replied, "He was big, but not that big."

Mikasa who was sitting next to Eren drew a smile on her face, seeing how well everyone was getting along with their group, and hearing their stories.

"What about the other strange one, the Armored Titan?" Connie asked excitedly.

Eren looked in his direction questioningly. "Armored Titan, that's what their calling it?" He asked rhetorically. "Yeah, we got a look at him as we were heading down the river towards Wall Rose. He broke through the inner gate by ramming into it, allowing the titans full access to territory behind Maria."

The crowd around the table began to grow as they listened to Eren's account. Even though they were all afraid of the titans, they couldn't help but wonder at these two new types that showed up, having the strength to breach the walls.

"Tell us some more Eren!" stated one cadet. "Yeah, tell us how fast the Armored Titan can run!" shouted another. Eren let his spoon drop into his bowl, and noticeably started shaking. Upon seeing how upset Eren was getting, Cadet Marco Bott stepped in and tried to silence everyone.

"Come on guys. Eren probably doesn't want to talk about this stuff anymore. He did lose loved ones in that attack."

"It's alright." Eren corrected him. "It's just that we shouldn't be fascinated with these creatures. They are simply wild animals that need to be put down and nothing more. That's why I intend to join the Survey Corps, and eliminate them all."

The crowd around him went completely silent, until a fit of chuckling was heard a couple of tables over. It was the same recruit who laughed at hearing Armin's reasons for joining the military earlier.

"Is there something particularly funny?" Eren demanded of him.

"Yeah kid, it's you. I thought your coconut headed friend there was crazy, but now I see where he gets his drive." Jean stated smiling at him. "You, defeating all the titans, it's very funny to me. Especially since we've been fighting them for as long as anyone can remember and only managed to get our butts handed to us every time. Oh, but all that's going to change now that we have you I suppose?"

Eren began to clench his teeth, trying to compose himself enough not to get up and slam his fist against Jean's grinning face. "If you find my plan funny, let's take a look at yours. You wish to join the Military Police so you can cower behind the inner most wall, but you forget a similar wall was breached by the titans two years ago. It's only a matter of time before the remaining walls are breached and humanity's finished. Though I think the titans would be doing all of us a favor by eating scared, horse-faced jackasses like you!" At that comment, Jean's smirk turned upside down, causing Eren to rub his nose with his thumb and smiling.

Jean shook his head; smirk returned and responded, "Whatever kid. I just think you're wasting your life for nothing. Humanity has been safe behind these walls for a hundred years before those unique titans showed up. There's good reason to believe titans like that have been around as long as the others, but this is the first time we've seen them. I'm willing to bet even if they ever strike again, it will be in another hundred years. By then I would have lived a long and fulfilled life within the interior, being long dead to care what happens after that."

Eren's teeth compressed so hard, it wouldn't surprise him if his gums were bleeding. He absolutely could not believe the words leaving this guy's mouth. Off to Eren's side, Mikasa could tell Eren was losing his cool by the second. 'I was afraid this would happen' she thought. 'He's always been headstrong when it comes to things. Just ignore this guy Eren.'

"What if you have children and grandchildren living after you die idiot, do you care if those titans attack them!" Eren shouted.

Jean placed his right elbow on the table and let his head rest in his hand, closing his eyes. "I don't live in the world of what ifs, though if you want an answer, I guess I would cheer their fight on against the titans from the grave." He declared nonchalantly.

That was the last straw for Eren. As he got up, the crowd made way as he started to march toward Jean. Jean hearing the gasp in the crowd, opened his eyes and saw Eren coming toward him with his fists clenched. Jean smiled and got up from his own seat, thinking to himself 'Fine by me, it's not like I have anything better to do.'

Just before the two were about to meet for a dinner time brawl, the alarm bell outside was rung outside, indicating dinner was over and it was now time for the cadets to shut in for the night.

Everyone in the mess hall began dumping their trays on the counter and moving toward their sleeping quarters. Eren and Jean were still looking at each other before Jean smiled and said, "Listen, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. We're going to be training for a couple of years, so let's accept our differences and put all this behind us, and start over." Jean stuck out his hand to shake Eren's, calling it a truce. Eren looked at his hand, before reaching out and shaking it. With that, Eren turned and left.

Jean began to move toward the door himself until a girl walked pass him, and his heart began to flutter. He seen this girl plenty of times throughout the day, but this time she was close enough to him to notice just how gorgeous she was.

"Hey uh, excuse me." Jean rushed to catch her attention. Mikasa stopped and turned to face him. 'I wonder what this guy wants' she thought.

Being seized with her eyes looking at him, Jean subconsciously performed the military salute. "I uh, I love your hair. I-I think you're very beautiful." He managed to say. Mikasa confused by his words and behavior, simply stated, "Th-thank you." She then exited the building, leaving Jean standing in the room by himself.

Regaining his senses, Jean went toward the door, to see if he could catch up to her again, and tell her how he feels about her.

Outside Mikasa caught up with Eren, walking with him in the general direction of the boys and girls barracks. "Eren you shouldn't start up fights with everyone that disagrees with you." She lectured. Eren scoffed and replied, "Stop worrying about me Mikasa, that Jean guy needs a reality check." Mikasa sighed loudly.

Eren couldn't stand to be babied by Mikasa. Seeking to change the subject, he touched her long hair and said smiling, "You know it might be better if you cut your hair. It would be easier to manage during our tougher training sessions ahead, and plus you wouldn't want it getting caught in a tree or something when we start working with maneuver gear."

Mikasa looked at him and touch her hair. "Alright" she said.

From a distance, Jean looked at the two as they walked on. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see Eren touching her hair, and a fuse was lit inside him. Connie came along walking around the corner with his hands behind his head, whistling without a care in the world. As he passed by Jean, he suddenly felt a hand slide along his back.

"Ah what the hell man! What did you wipe on me?" Connie exclaimed, rolling on the floor trying to get a better angle as to what was on the back of his shirt.

"Oh it's nothing." Jean replied calmly, veling the rage churning in the pit of his stomach. "…nothing but a broken truce."

The next day the trainees were being fitted for their maneuver gear belts and tested for the ability to balance themselves while being suspended midair. As they continued to gather up their gear and settle themselves, Shadis addressed them.

"In a few short minutes we will travel to the field area. There we have ten platforms set up designed to test your potential to use Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear." Shadis spoke. "This is a very basic exercise; however those who fail to keep their balance will be dismissed from the academy, as operating maneuver gear is essential to most of the training done here."

With that, Shadis and the instructors with him lead everyone to their destination to begin testing. Each recruit attached wires to their training belts, the wires being inline with three wooden beams, able to be fed with more or less wire through the use of a crank mechanism. This allows the cadet to be lifted in the air when the wire is reeled in.

Being tested ten at a time; it became something of a contest with each group as to who could manage to stay upright without much movement. As the day wore on, there were a couple of standouts. Ms. Ackerman by far was the best out of her group and perhaps out of the class. Shadis noted how she was able to stay motionless the entire time, a true natural. Then you had some who struggled a bit before being able to right themselves. Armin fell into this category, sweating it out and gritting his teeth.

Throughout most of the day, no one failed to maintain their balance. Causing many to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking Shadis was messing with their mind when he told them it would be a basic exercise. However, one recruit failed miserably, and was every which way but upright.

"Tsk tsk, I thought Yeager was going to be the "savior" of mankind, yet he can't even handle this simple task." Jean snickered within the crowd, looking on Eren's upside down form compared to the others who were being tested with him. 'Oh well, I guess that means he'll be leaving the academy soon' He thought.

Shadis walked over to Eren's platform and stared at him for a second.

"I'm a little disappointed in you Cadet Yeager; it's a shame to see you go this soon." He said.

"Give me another chance Sir; I know I can do this!" Eren said, touching the ground in an attempt to flip himelf upright to start over again.

Shadis considered his comment and finally spoke saying, "I heard from talk among the other cadets that you plan on entering the Survey Corps. Not many choose to enter that field and it's certainly rarer for a cadet to choose to go there even before their graduation. So far, only you and Ar² intend to join them. I'll tell you what Yeager; I'll give you another chance tomorrow. I hate to deprive the Corps of such willing participants." Shadis waved to the cadet working the crank to Eren's platform to let him down. "Take the rest of the day to clear your mind, and be ready tomorrow." With that, Shadis went to observe the others in their balancing.

Eren sat on the ground where he was lowered, contemplating where he went wrong in balancing himself. Mikasa and Armin came to his side, telling him it was okay and that he would succeed the next day. Jean also approached Eren with a smug look and said, "Hey kid, what happened up there?"

Mikasa shot him a dangerous look and stated, "Leave him alone Jean."

Jean looked at Mikasa and saw she appeared to be irritated by his presence. Even so, he still couldn't help but be taken away by her beauty. He also noticed her hair length was shorter than it was yesterday, but it didn't take away from her attractiveness one bit. "I'm sorry Mikasa" Jean said. "I don't mean to be a jerk here, but it seems Yeager may not be cut out for the job he wants to do so badly."

Eren clenched his teeth. After unloosening the wires connected to his belt, he got up and walked over to where all the other cadets were standing, waiting for everyone else to complete the exercise. Armin got up to follow, feeling dejected for his friend. Mikasa also followed, but not before giving Jean a sideways glance screaming that he better watch himself…

The rest of the morning went by without a problem, and before long it was time to eat lunch. Eren however decided to use this free time to work on perfecting his balance, and stayed in the field. Of course Mikasa and Armin stood by to assist him with the crank and offer encouragement. "You think it's a good idea for you to miss lunch Eren?" Armin asked. "We still have drills and chores to do later on."

Eren adjusted himself, connecting the wires to his belt before responding, "Nothing else matters at this point if I can't hold my balance by tomorrow. I will be shipped out of here if I fail again, being good to do nothing but work as a farmer in the fields. Although, I don't want you guys to miss your lunch for my sake. I'm sure I can get an instructor to work the crank for me."

Armin shook his head and exclaimed, "That's alright, Mikasa and I are here for you. I'm ready to lift you when you're ready."

Eren gave him the thumbs up, and Armin began to turn the wheel, pulling the wires to lift Eren off the ground. For a few seconds it was relatively easy for Eren to maintain control, but like last time he flipped over. "Argh, why is this crap so hard for me?" Eren shouted out in frustration. Armin turned the wheel to let him down to correct himself.

Mikasa decided to give him some pointers in saying, "Don't think too hard when you're in the air. Focus on a single, steady point in the distance and you should be able to keep your balance."

Eren got up and brushed himself off. Taking in Mikasa's words, he took a deep breath and told Armin he was ready for a second try. Armin nodded, and once again cranked it up.

'Alright here we go. Focus, focus' Eren repeated in his head while concentrating on a distant tree. After a minute, he started to sway back and forth, before turning over. After a few more attempts, Eren sat on the ground and pounded it in frustration.

"What's wrong with me? It can't end like this; I've come to far just to give up now!" Eren yelled out. Mikasa came over and sat down beside him. Looking at his miserable form, she began to speak to him softly.

"Don't be so hard on yourself Eren. Maybe…maybe there could be some truth in Jean's words earlier. You know, maybe you're not made to fight titans."

Eren looked at Mikasa in disbelief stating, "What? You agree with that idiot? You think I'm nothing but talk as well?" Mikasa shook her head and replied, "No I'm not saying I agree with him and I know you keep your vows. It's just that perhaps….you were meant to do something else."

Eren turned his head away from her gaze, thinking on what she was saying. It had always been his dream to join the Scouting Legion, even before the tragic loss of his mother and disappearance of his father. He always admired the men and women of the Corps in their effort to finally help mankind break free from their confines within the walls. There was nothing he wanted to do more than live free on the outside.

"Listen." Mikasa began to say. "If you're forced to leave the academy tomorrow, I'll leave with you." Eren spun around to meet her eyes in protest. "No Mikasa, don't do that." He said. "I know you came here because of me, but it's already been shown you have great potential in the military. Having a job in the military is ideal for people like us, and I'm sure you'll be able to meet someone and start your own family."

"Eren…" She started in objection, but was stopped by Eren holding up his finger. "I know you're protective of me Mikasa, but you also have your own life to think about. So promise me you won't quit if I don't pass the test tomorrow."

Mikasa fell silent looking at Eren's gaze. She turned to Armin looking for him to reason with Eren on her behalf, but he simply smiled at her, knowing it was hard for her to refuse Eren's wishes at times.

Sighing, she whispered, "I promise."

Eren looked down in relief, and then looked up again with resolve. "In any case you don't have to worry about me Mikasa. I'm going to ace the balance test tomorrow. Armin, prepare for another round of attempts! I'm not letting this thing beat me." Eren stated while standing up. "We'll do!" Armin encouraged.

Mikasa urged him not to push himself too much, but Eren told her it was fine and they had a few extra minutes before the lunch period was over.

"You ready Armin?" Eren checked.

"Ready!"

Armin began to turn the wheel, lifting Eren off the ground. However, immediately Eren flipped over, causing his head to smash into the ground.

"EREN!" Mikasa and Armin screamed. It was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness…

A couple of hours later, Eren was sitting in the office of the academy's medical unit, going over his test for a concussion. He woke from his comatose-like state a half hour ago, and the doctor wanted to make sure he was well enough to let him return to training soon.

Finished flipping through the recorded results of his concussion test, the doctor turned towards Eren and said, "It appears you've recovered impressively from your accident. Even though you lost consciousness, it doesn't appear you are experiencing even the slightest evidence of a concussion."

Eren's face began to light up with a hopeful expression. "Does that mean I can continue my training?" He said. The doctor returned his smile and noted, "It appears so, but just to be on the safe side, I want you to rest for the night and I'll check you again tomorrow."

"Alright" Eren responded resolutely.

Later on that night, Eren became something of a laughing stock over at Jean's table during dinner. Eren tried his best to ignore the boy's mocking comments, but Mikasa could tell it was really getting to him. After a while, Eren's suffering ended as the curfew bell rung, and he made a quick exit for the door, not waiting to walk with her to their dorms.

While everyone in the men's dorm was making light conversation before calling it a night, Armin tried to convince Eren that perhaps he could receive some tips on keeping his balance from some of the guys. To Eren's dismay however, Armin suggested asking the one guy who performed the best with the exercise for advice.

"No Armin!" Eren refused.

"Come on Eren, he was the best at it among the male cadets." Armin stated flatly.

"There's no way in hell I'm asking that pompous prick for advice!" Eren countered swiftly.

"You wouldn't ask Jean even if it meant failing tomorrow and having to leave the academy? Come on Eren, you have to swallow your pride."

Eren thought about it for a moment, and sighed in defeat. "Alright Armin, you win." He said softly. Armin smiled and told him he'll be with him to ask Jean. So they got up and walked over to Jean's bunk. He was sitting on the bed talking with Marco and Connie. Upon seeing Eren and Armin approach, an inquisitive look crossed his face. As they reached their destination, Armin spoke on Eren's behalf, while Eren embarrassingly had his gaze set on the floor.

"As you might know Jean, Eren had a little trouble today with the balancing exercise. We were wondering if you had any extra tips he could use during tomorrow's attempt, as you were the best out of everyone here in maintaining your focus." Armin commented with a smile.

Eren gritted his teeth. 'You didn't have to stroke the guy's ego' he thought.

Jean smiled at Eren's frustrated look. "I don't know Armin." Jean began. "I always figured Eren had things like that in the bag himself. Why would he need my help?"

"Eren is willing to listen, Jean." Armin attempted to sway Jean's mind. "He's willing to put aside any differences you two had in the past, and come together as teammates on this one."

Jean turned to Eren and asked him, "Is that true Yeager?"

Eren clenched his fist so tightly, he could be sure they were turning white. However, upon seeing Armin's face, he relented and responded, "Yeah whatever."

Jean's smile grew wider and he stated, "I still sense a little attitude coming from you. If you ask me nicely, I'll consider giving all the tips I know." Eren now could feel his blood start boil. Yet knowing he was desperate, he took a deep breath and let it out, composing himself.

"Please, offer me advice on the balancing exercise?" Eren mustered out.

Satisfied, Jean let out his own sigh. "You know Yeager" He said, "I'm honestly conflicted about helping you. If you pass the test on my knowledge, I would feel like I'm helping you on your way to get eaten by the titans. I don't know if I can handle that guilt on my conscious."

'This son of a…' Eren began to rage saying, "FINE, I wouldn't want to weigh on your innocent conscious then." Eren yelled, storming back to his bed. Armin shot Jean a look before going after him.

Marco shook his head at his friend Jean. "Why you have to be so hard on him Jean?" He asked. Connie joined in and said, "Yeah, I'm kind of rooting for him to stay on. I like the guy."

Jean lay back on his bunk, resting his head in his hands against the pillow. "The guy's a pain. He needs to embrace reality and stop thinking he can actually beat the titans. It's quite sad if you ask me."

Armin caught up with Eren, attempting to calm him down. Eren tried to shake him off by saying, "Leave me alone Armin, I'm not in the mood."

"I'm sorry I made you ask Jean for help Eren." Armin apologized.

"Save it; it was ultimately my choice to ask. It was worth a shot anyway." Eren told his crestfallen friend. Armin looked thoughtful for a second, then spoke up by saying, "Wait Eren, there were also two other guys I know who performed the task efficiently."

"Enough of this Armin, I've looked like a fool enough for one day. I'm going to bed."

"I understand, but these are pretty reasonable guys. I had the pleasure in getting to know them during the afternoon training session. I'm sure they will hear you out."

Eren's pace began to slow down just before reaching his own bunk. For some reason, he started to feel a ping of regret, knowing he wouldn't feel right sleeping through the night if he didn't exercise every last option when it came to succeeding tomorrow. "Okay Armin, let's talk to them."…

In the far corner of the room, Eren and Armin sat around a bunk with two cadets. They both were pretty tall for their age, and you could tell they were physically fit. Armin began to introduce the two…

"Eren this is Reiner Braun and his friend Bertolt Hoover. They come from a local fishing village just to the south of Wall Maria." Armin beamed.

Astonishment came across Eren's face. "South of Wall Maria you say? That means your village is in the territory now conquered by the titans." said Eren turning towards the two.

Reiner and Bertolt nodded their heads with a solemn expression. "Yeah" Bertolt spoke. "Also due to our village being relatively poor, we didn't receive much warning before the titans reached us. I still find it hard to believe we are even sitting here right now."

"Hey Bertolt" Reiner calmed his friend. "You don't have to talk about it if it hurts you. Though it is somewhat comforting to talk with those who have seen the horrors the titans can cause." He finished, looking up with a smile at Eren and Armin.

They decided to finish their conversation on the steps outside that lead up to their barracks. Reiner was very impressed with Eren's resolve. "So, you seem to be a fan favorite around these parts Eren. Tell me, you still want to join the Survey Corps after not only seeing regular titans, but also the strange ones that broke through Wall Maria?" he asked.

Eren looked out into the field before responding, "Damn straight I do. One day, I'll have those titans being afraid of me." Reiner couldn't help but get excited in Eren's presence. Bertolt took a look at his friend and smiled.

"I can't guarantee my tips will help you any, as it's mostly just staying still." Reiner expressed. "However, I'll tell you what I can and by tomorrow you should be an expert."

Armin grinned at the smile that crossed Eren's face…

The next day, with the green light from the academy doctor that Eren could resume his training, Eren was determined to pass the test. As expected, a huge crowd of cadets looked and cheered Eren on as he stood beneath the wooden platform, connecting the wires to his belt. Shadis took note of the crowd, seeing how much Eren affected the other students.

"Well, it seems you're the life of the party Cadet Yeager. I guess that puts me at ends with you, as I'm the killjoy." Shadis uttered with a chuckle. "I don't have to remind you of what happens should you fail today do I?"

Eren met his intense gaze and responded with a salute, "No Sir!"

"Alright then, let us begin."

Shadis signaled to Cadet Thomas Wagner, who began to turn the crank to lift Eren up. Eren focused on all the tips he received from Reiner last night, particularly concerning his belt adjustment, and fused it with Mikasa's earlier tips on focusing on a steady point in the distance. 'Here I go!' Eren processed.

Being in the air, Eren was able to maintain his balance for the longest time yet. The crowd began to cheer before all fell silent as Eren toppled once more. At this point, Eren couldn't think, and simply hung there realizing he failed to become a soldier.

Shadis looked at his still form, before signaling Wagner to let him down.

Eren was lowered to the ground, and he closed his eyes as they started water, feeling the pain inside his gut. "I'm sorry Sir." he instinctively began to say.

"Silence" was all he heard his instructor say in response.

Shadis walked up to him, pondering over something in his mind. Eren thought he was going to tell him how useless he was, and prepared himself to receive all of his cutting words. Instead, Shadis looked back at Wagner and said, "Cadet Wagner, take off your belt and give it to Yeager. You two have the same waist size so it should fit well enough."

A puzzled look came upon Eren's face. Shadis turned back to Eren and told him to hand his belt to him. Not hesitating, Eren did as he was told, and took Wagner's belt.

Shadis took Eren's belt and walked back over to the side of the wooden structure. "Now Cadet Yeager, let's try this again. I have a feeling you should now be able to maintain your balance in your sleep."

Again Eren's face was puzzled, yet he hooked the wires to Wagner's belt now around his waist, and prepared for another go. Giving Wagner the signal, Eren was lifted into the air. Immediately Eren noticed the difference in maintaining his balance compared to before. It was like floating in a sphere of air. The crowd's roar was even louder than before. Eren looked at his superior with a questioning gaze.

Shadis smiled at him and said, "The belt adjustment you made during your first go allowed me to see a slight chip within the lock mechanism. Those damn bastards in the government are always slow to replace our equipment from time to time, choosing to buy new furniture to piss the day away in comfort. Anyway, congratulations Yeager, it looks like you'll get your death wish after all."

Being too excited to care about Shadis' comment on his career choice, Eren turned to Mikasa with eyes of vitality. Armin caught it and said to her, "Look Mikasa, Eren is gloating that he was able to keep his word haha." Mikasa shook her head and responded with a smile, "No, that's not it. He's happy that we can now stay together."

In another section of the crowd, Marco turned towards Jean and said, "Looks like he was capable of maintaining his balance all along. Quite impressive he was able to do it for a decent amount of time on a broken belt eh?" Jean responded with a sharp, "Tsk."

The crowd continued to cheer as Eren raised both hands to the air in victory. Reiner and Bertolt looked on in approval, and Shadis acknowledged silently to Grisha Yeager that his boy was becoming a man.

Through the first few months, the trainees spent time constructing their personal three dimensional maneuver gear, and learning the proper way to operate it. In order to build physical endurance to improve their movement and handle with the 3DMG, Shadis had the 104th break up in groups of two, performing hand-to-hand combat drills…

Mina and Armin often paired up together in this drill. Some figured they could be becoming an item. "Hey Armin, you don't have to take it easy on me just because I'm a girl." Mina challenged.

"Alright Mina, though I think you're just better than me at this. Haha, I've been giving it my all for a while now, and you still end up besting me every time." replied Armin with a hesitant laugh.

Mina smiled and stated, "Don't worry; I'll make a man out of you yet!"…

The overall objective of this exercise is to disarm an attacker of his/her weapon. In this case, the trainees are given a wooden dagger to represent the weapon. The defending cadet attempts to take away the dagger being held by the person who's charging.

Most of the cadets choose their same partners each time the drill takes place. As it's not a graded activity, some choose to run the through motions of fighting, but in reality they relax and have conversation. Jean falls among this category…

"Hey Marco, as you know the Military Police receive almost ten times the salary of those in the other two branches. I figure I'll buy me a mansion near base once I'm settled in. What about you?" Jean asked excitedly.

Marco lazily dodged Jean's half attempt at attacking him, and responded, "I don't know. I always figured I'd stay on base for a while."

"Hmmm, you got to think bigger Marco." Jean laughed…

Every now and again, other cadets would switch partners due to one desiring to test the waters against other's skills. Cadet Krista Lenz decided to branch out a little and asked Mikasa to be her partner…

"Sure we can train together." Mikasa said smiling.

"Thanks Mikasa. I'll try me best to keep up with you." Krista affirmed

Cadet Ymir yelled to the two girls from across the field, "Mikasa you better go easy one her, or else we're going to go a few rounds!"

Krista's faced turned red with awkwardness. "Ymir you're embarrassing me!" She squeaked out.

Ymir laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered. Why did you leave me hanging Krista? Now I have to pair up with quite boy over here." She said while pointing at Bertolt, who held his hands up in defense…

Nonetheless, there remains one individual among them all, who remains steadfast in every drill, no matter if it was graded or not…

"You ready Eren?" Reiner alerted, positioning himself to strike.

"Ready" Eren answered.

Reiner charged at full speed and at the right moment, thrust the dagger toward Eren. Yeager's eyes caught Reiner's change in movement and he was able to catch Reiner by his wrists. With all his strength, he managed to toss Reiner to the ground, making him drop the dagger. Eren picked it up and then helped Reiner off the ground.

Dusting himself off, Reiner said, "It looks like you're getting better. That was impressive."

"Thanks man." Eren said smiling at him. Indeed, he noticed his strength was growing as time moved forward at the military academy.

Reiner walked a few paces away and turned to face Eren. "Alright" He said, "I guess it's your turn." Eren looked at the dagger in his hand, and then looked back at Reiner with a thoughtfullness. "What's wrong Eren, don't tell me you're afraid to get tossed down." Reiner chuckled.

Eren laughed back and said, "Nah it's not that. Just I've been thinking what is real point of these exercises? I imagine there are better ways to building strength, but this just seems silly. I doubt we could take titans out with a weapon like these daggers."

Reiner considered his words for a second and then responded, "What if you don't have a choice?" Eren looked at him puzzled. Reiner continued on, "What if the situation you were presented with only gave you a dagger to take a titan out that has cornered you?"

Reiner walked up to Eren, and held his hand out for the dagger. Eren gave it to him, wondering about the point he's making.

"You see Eren; in my village we have a warrior's conduct. That no matter how tough things get, we face them with the expectancy of getting the job done. Even with a weapon as small as this, we take what is presented to us and defeat our enemies no matter their size and strength. A warrior is always successful."

Eren nodded as Reiner gave him back the dagger. All of a sudden, something caught Reiner's eye behind Eren. "Hey" he told Eren, "You see the girl walking over there?"

Eren followed Reiner's gaze behind him, and saw a girl with blonde hair walking aimlessly on the field among the other cadets. "Her?" Eren asked. Reiner nodded. Smiling he spoke, "Her name is Annie. She tends to keep to herself a lot and slack off during group activities. I think you and I need to go over there and teach her about how seriously warriors are supposed to take their training."

Eren started to tell Reiner perhaps they should let her be, but Reiner was already moving toward her.

Annie continued to move through the field, looking for somewhere she could relax and wait for the drill to be over, until Reiner stepped in front of her path.

"Dozing off again I see Annie. What, you couldn't find a suitable partner to fit your interests? I think you need to take a long hard look in the mirror about why you decided to sign up, or else why don't you just go home." Reiner stated with a devilish grin.

As Eren caught up to Reiner, he got one look at Annie's expression, and wanted to duck behind a bush. 'Wow' he thought 'She is pissed! Here I thought Mikasa was scary at times.'

While Eren was still mesmerized, Reiner snuck up behind him and began to push him forward whispering, "Alright I buttered her up for you, now show her your warrior spirit!"

"What wait a minute, what in the world?" Eren said caught off guard by the sudden shift of attention.

Annie looked at Eren, and got in her fighting stance. Eren figured he might as well cooperate; this was actually the first time he truly noticed she was even there at the academy.

"Alright" Eren said, "You know the objective right Annie? Get ready because here I come."

Eren charged at full speed, but Annie met him half way in a flash, and kicked his right shin, causing him to fall to the ground grabbing his leg. "Man" Eren admitted in pain, "What was that I barely saw her move."

Annie looked back at Reiner and said, "You satisfied with wasting enough of my time?"

Reiner smiled, but responded, "Not quite. You haven't disarmed him yet." Annie heaved a sigh in frustration. She turned back around at Eren, who was just getting up, and she began to advance. Eren caught a glimpse at her approaching fast and said, "Wait a sec, timeout, oh crap!"

With blinding speed, she grabbed Eren's arm pulling him back, and with a leg sweep, turned him completely upside down in the air, falling on the back of his neck. The dagger he was holding flew into the air, being easily caught by her.

'I thought my days of being flipped mercilessly ended with the balance test' Eren mused as he was on the ground.

Annie threw the dagger at Reiner and said, "There you go. Now, let's see what you can do." Reiner gazed at the dagger in his hand and then hesitantly at Annie. "What's wrong?" She said, eyeballing him with a quite fury.

Eren spoke up in a somewhat mocking tone, still being on the ground saying, "Go ahead Reiner. Show her your warrior spirit." Annie glanced at Eren upon hearing his comment, and then her eyes narrowed at Reiner.

Reiner smirked saying, "Well, I guess I wouldn't be much of a warrior if I back down right? Alright, let's go Ann…" Yet before he could finish, she laid waste to him even quicker than she did Eren, again being able to take hold of the dagger.

She began walking away from the two defeated "warriors", before Eren stopped her. "Hey Annie" He asked, "That's an awesome fighting style you have there. Who taught you to fight like that?"

She paused for a second, before responding, "My father." Eren got off the ground and move toward her with excitement in his eyes.

"That's pretty cool. If you don't mind, could you tea-"

"What does it matter?" She said interrupting him. "You think martial arts can defeat titans?"

Eren listened intently as she continued, "You're so head strong with your goals that you can't see the forest for the trees. Mostly everyone here is trying to graduate within the top ten, so when it comes to a drill like this, they take it easy, knowing it's not graded. Only fools like you take it seriously, and I suppose fools like them." pointing toward Sasha and Connie. Eren smiled as Instructor Shadis grabbed Connie by the head for doing the drill improperly.

Annie suddenly made a strike with the dagger toward Eren's mid-section, but purposely stopped before reaching his chest. Eren, who responded much too late, instinctively held on to her wrists in an attempt to prevent her from moving any further.

"Tell me Eren." She whispered softly, "Why are the ones most capable of killing the titans given the opportunity not to face them within the interior?"

Eren struggled to think seeing that she was threatening him and asking him a question at the same time. "Who knows?" He responded. With that, Eren decided to go on the attack, attempting to wrestle the dagger away from her grip. He thought he finally got enough leverage, but she used his momentum to hold him off balance, flipping him again with another successful leg sweep, more thorough than the one before. He impacted the ground hard, opening his eyes to see Annie holding the dagger at his throat. 'She wins again.' Eren thought to himself as he laid there completely at her mercy.

"Perhaps it's just how things are with this world." She told him. "It's easier to just accept it, and go along with the flow, instead of trying to change things and end up crushed beyond recognition. That's the other thing my father taught me."

Sighing, she got up and dropped the dagger on the ground. "Learn that lesson Eren. Don't be an idealistic fool." Not wasting anymore time, Annie turned and left. Eren grabbed the dagger, contemplating over her words. Reiner walked up to him and gave him a hand up.

"She's a tough nut to crack wouldn't you agree?" Reiner laughed. Eren replied saying, "Yeah." Looking around, Eren mulled 'Yet she's right about one thing. The system is out of whack, having the top students running away from the titans all so the king can have the best protection possible in the interior. I'm sorry Annie, but I'm going against that system, and I will change things.'…

After drills were done for the day, the cadets had some free time before they were due in the classroom.

Reiner and Bertolt are walking along on their way to the boy's dorm, when Reiner sees Annie looking at them from afar, leaning against a tree. Reiner gives her a nod, and continues walking. Annie waited a few minutes, before following them into a secluded area behind the dorms.

"What was that all about?" Annie asked Reiner.

Reiner shook his head and quipped, "You'll have to be a little clearer as to what you're referring to."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She said scowling. "Are you trying to blow our cover? I thought we agreed to keep a low profile. Then you teach that suicidal fool principals from our homeland? You have become too attached."

Reiner brushed her comments off and said, "Listen, I did say keep a low profile, but you're just downright suspicious. You barely talk to anyone here, so what better way to change that than to sic Yeager-boy on you, wouldn't you agree Bertolt?"

Bertolt appeared thoughtful and spoke, "I can see both sides. It's important to blend in with those here, but I think Annie also has a point by not becoming too attached. It'll just make the job that much harder."

Reiner smirked at his friend's comments, "I always knew you had a soft spot for Annie." This caused Bertolt to blush slightly. Annie barely noticed and called out to Reiner…

"Listen Reiner, I'll choose how I operate while we're stuck here for the time being, and you do your own thing. I stay away from you, you stay away from me, and we all stay happy."

Finished speaking, Annie took her leave. Reiner thinking to himself mused, 'Yep, a tough nut indeed.'…

With all classes completed for the day and the sun beginning to set, the cadets gathered in the mess hall for tonight's dinner. On tonight's menu was the academy's favorite dish, soup and bread.

Conversation concerning topics in the classroom filled the air. Armin was discussing with Mikasa regarding the technical elements on "Formation for Long Distance Enemy Detection", a tactic developed by the current commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith.

Right next to him, Eren was reflecting upon his day, what he learned from Reiner and Annie, and the system of hiding away humanity's best potential soldiers from the titans. Looking off to his right, he began listening to a conversation Jean, Marco, and another cadet named Nac Tius were having about the 3DMG a table over.

"The trick to using less fuel is to pull the trigger for a short accelerated burst, and then using your momentum from the cables to carry you through to your desired target. You're also able to gain speed in your turns by using a combination of your momentum along with an accelerated burst of fuel." Jean told Nac.

Nac shook his head and replied, "You make it sound so easy."

"Well, perhaps not everyone can do it with precision. It takes incredible coordination and strength to pull off successfully." said Jean, stealing a moment away to look at his secret crush Mikasa. "Though, you shouldn't let that stop you from trying Nac. As only the top cadets will have a chance to enlist in the Military Police Brigade."

"Yeah, that's my dream!" Marco piped up, "It's always been my passion to one day work for the king."

Jean laughed and said, "Come on Marco, let's cut the bull crap. Shadis isn't here, so you don't have to impress anyone with statements of working for the king. We know the real reason why you and anyone else want to join the Military Police. Who wouldn't want to have a great life living in luxury?"

"That's not true Jean. It's a great honor to serve the king." Marco confronted. Jean waved him off and said, "Yeah, yeah. Well, you can still come over and hang out in my mansion off base once we make it."

"A mansion huh" Eren interrupted, "Tell me, will you also have swans swimming in a fountain in front of your neatly cut lawn, to quench your bushy tastes?" Some trainees listening nearby tried to hold in their giggles.

Jean sneered and said, "Maybe, but don't worry Eren. When you end up titan food on the battle field, I'll have a memorial erected on my lawn for you with the inscription, 'In Memory of the Suicidal Bastard'."

"Whatever Jean" Eren dismissed, "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, you actually have great talent as a soldier. Don't you think its odd the best cadets are offered the chance to stow away inside the interior, when it's better served that they fight the titans?"

Jean shrugged his shoulders and responded, "What you're trying to recruit me now? You think I care? The system suits me just fine."

Once again Jean managed to rile up Eren's anger. "You are a coward!" Eren yelled, getting up to face him. Jean returned his challenge and got up saying, "Fine kid. Let's settle this thing right here."

Before they could get at each other's throats, Mikasa stood up to separate them. "Come on guys" She said, "Let's try to have a peaceful meal for once."

Jean watched as she placed a hand on Eren's arm, leading him back to their table. Seeing her so close to Eren set the young man off. "You bastard" Jean shouted, grabbing Eren by his shirt collar.

"What's your problem all of a sudden? Let go of my shirt you idiot before it rips!" Eren yelled back, trying to break out of Jean's grip.

"You think I give a damn about your shirt? Ahh, I'm so jealous right now!"

"What are you talking about-" Eren began, but all of a sudden he got an idea. It seemed like time stopped for a second as he saw everyone looking at their situation. 'I'm sorry Jean, but this time, I won't lose control of my emotions like you. My purposes are greater than yours, and I'll demonstrate it with this technique' Eren thought with determination.

With precise movement, Eren grabbed Jean's arm, holding him off balance. Then in one swift action, Eren launched his left leg in a sweeping motion toward Jean's own, flipping him in the air and falling to the floor. A hush fell over the entire hall, and immediately Annie noticed the technique Eren just used.

Jean being caught off guard began rubbing his head and said, "What the hell was that?"

Eren knowing he had the attention of the whole room, answered Jean's rhetorical question in saying, "That was a martial arts technique I went through 'hell' to learn, while you were slacking off during hand-to-hand combat drills today."

"Huh" Jean looked at him, still trying to regain his bearings at what happened.

"Listen Jean" Eren began, "I don't plan to go along with this stupid system. In fact I made up my mind that I will graduate within the top ten, with a better ranking than you. Then when the higher ups come promising me a mansion and a life of comfort within the inner walls, I'll tell them to shove it all up their asses and let them know where they can go."

If it were possible, an even bigger hush fell over the mess hall as everyone heard Eren's declaration. After getting up and looking Eren in the eyes, Jean stated, "You think you can get a higher ranking than me? That'll be the day."

Suddenly, the door to the dining hall slid open, revealing their head instructor Keith Shadis.

"I heard a noise earlier and this room became very silent. Anyone cared to explain?" He asked everyone.

Eren, Jean, and Mikasa took their seats, and then Mikasa raised her hand and answered Shadis, "Potato Girl farted, Sir."

To Sasha's dismay, the whole room erupted in laughter. Shadis turned around in disgust, telling her to learn some manners, causing another round of laughter. After Shadis left, Mikasa gave Sasha the bread from her plate to calm her down. Yet the two boys, who were in disagreement earlier, stared one another down until the bell rung for the cadets to turn in for the night.

Steeling himself away from Jean's glare, Eren looked up to see Annie walking out the door.

"Uh I'll talk to you guys later." Eren told Armin and Mikasa as he got up and moved out the building. Mikasa wondered where Eren was off to all of a sudden, giving Armin an inquisitive look. Armin shrugged.

Eren reached the door, and saw Annie walking in the direction to her dorm. He ran to catch up with her, wanting to know what she thought of the move he put on Jean.

"Hey Annie" He called out, "What did you think about my form on using your dad's technique?"

She stopped walking, allowing him to catch his breath. Eren continued by saying, "Not bad for only seeing it a couple of times eh?"

With an annoyed voice she spoke, "Not bad? The angle in the motion of your kick was too wide. If that other idiot wasn't so preoccupied with yelling at you, he would have seen it coming a mile away." This caused Eren to sulk, having thought he performed the move without a hitch.

She turned to him and continued on by saying, "I heard your pronouncement in there concerning the top graduates. You're still trying to change the world."

"Oh that" He responded, "Yeah, I'm sorry Annie, but I refuse to accept things the way they are. Perhaps I'm biting off more than I can chew, but one day I want to live outside these walls, in true freedom."

Annie shook her head, "I can respect that, but you're a hopeless fool." By now, Eren got used to being called a fool, yet for some reason coming from Annie, it made him feel confident instead of insulted.

"Ha, I'll take that as a compliment." said Eren. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around tomorrow." As he turned off toward the direction of his own dorm, he heard Annie call out to him…

"Eren" She said.

"Yeah"

"I guess if you can't learn that lesson" she said while looking up at the stars, with a smile forming on her lips, "I suppose I'll teach you my dad's fighting style instead."

Eren looked at her expectantly and replied, "What, really?" She looked at him, smile being replaced by a frown, and said. "Well, if you're going to perform them in front of everyone, I can't have you doing them improperly, giving my father a bad name."

Eren began to sulk again as Annie turned around toward her dorm.

"Goodnight Eren" She said while leaving.

"Yeah, goodnight Annie" Eren called, not knowing if she heard him. As Eren walked back to his dorm, a crazy thought crossed his mind concerning her. 'She looks kind of cute when she smiles'…


	2. A Requiem for Determination Part 2

**The Whole Road**

By: Keirube

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

**Chapter 2: A Requiem for Determination Part 2**

For the next few weeks, Mikasa rarely saw Eren during their free time, choosing to spend it training with Annie. Even in the times he sat down to eat meals at their table, all Eren could talk about was what he learned in sparring with Annie.

At night while everyone is sleeping, Mikasa would stay up in her bunk wondering what has gotten into him all of a sudden. Eren even stopped talking so much on his dreams of fighting titans for the time being.

Looking over in the direction of Annie, who is soundly asleep, Mikasa deliberates within herself 'What have you done to him? Why is he so interested in you?'...

The next day at breakfast Eren asked Annie to sit with him, Mikasa, Armin, and Mina.

"Hey Annie" said Eren as she passed by their table, "Why don't you sit with us. There's enough room." Mikasa raised her eyebrow at Eren's suggestion. 'Great' she thought. 'Now he's asking her to sit with us'.

"That's alright Eren." Annie began. "I like looking out the window near the far end of the room; it has a good view of the courtyard."

Eren laughed, "Ah, come on, don't be shy. By the way, I remember you telling me about your village's aptitude for fishing. Mina here is something of an expert when it comes to that kind of stuff in her own right."

Mina grinned and exclaimed, "I'm a three time fishing champion back in Karanese. I once caught a salmon that weighed in at 48 kg, which still a record last I heard!"

Annie took note. "That's pretty impressive." She stated. Mina rubbed her nose at the compliment.

Eren could still see the hesitancy from Annie. "Come on, we won't bite, right Mikasa?" Mikasa gave Eren a blank stare before responding, "Sure, it's fine."

Annie sighed and relented. "Alright, alright Eren, I'll eat with you guys for change." she said sitting down next to Mikasa. As conversation resumed, Eren mentioned to Annie that it was Armin who inspired him to dream about the outside world, causing Armin to blush with embarrassment.

"I see." Annie spoke, "Even though talking about the outside world is considered heretical among the religious and to some even a crime, you two tend to break away from the pack at any cost. Very few people exist in this world with those qualities. Sometimes I wish I had that kind of spirit within me, but then again it's a hard road to travel."

Eren nodded and added, "Yeah it might be hard, but I believe perhaps it takes one person to begin walking their own path, before others start to follow."

Armin also spoke up saying, "Growing up, I was considered the oddball, constantly being picked on for my hobby of reading about the outside world. As a result, I had low self-esteem and even doubted if life was worth living. That all changed when I met Eren and Mikasa. They taught me to believe in my ideas and not let anyone tell me different." Armin paused before scratching his head saying, "I guess I still hesitate at times, but now I know I'm not alone, having my friends by my side."

"That's honorable." Annie answered, "You have a good heart Armin. I can see why Eren talks about you so much." Armin gave a sheepish smile as Mina held his hand and rested her head on his shoulder.

Eren noticed Mikasa wasn't saying much. Thinking quickly, he opened up about Annie's skill as a fighter.

"You know Mikasa, Annie is a great martial artist and a good teacher. I feel with her techniques, I might become just as good a fighter as you and won't have to depend on you to fight my battles anymore."

This caused Mikasa to flinch slightly.

"You let women fight your battles for you?"Annie asked Eren curiously.

"Well, not necessarily." Eren answered, sweat rolling down his brow. "Yet Mikasa tends to have my back every now and again."

Annie turned to Mikasa and somberly expressed, "He's coming along quite nicely in training. I imagine his persistent approach to life assists him when it comes to things that require physical endurance." Looking back at Eren she continued, "Though, I have a tough time teaching him how to talk to girls."

Eren blushed a deep red hew, causing Mikasa to bite her lip.

"You know" Mikasa finally spoke, "I thought Eren was a pretty good fighter before your training with him Annie. I don't see why he's wasting your time with all this?" Annie turned to her and hinted "Oh?"

Mikasa continued, "Yeah. In fact, he taught me years ago the only way to survive in this cruel world is to fight. So I think the instinct is something that comes natural for both Eren and I." Mikasa and Eren shared a brief moment staring into each others eyes, silently sharing in the memory of when they first met.

Annie thought for a moment and reasoned, "I think I understand where you're coming from Mikasa. You and I aren't that different from each other." Mikasa took this moment to return the phrase, "Oh?" To which Annie replied impassively, "Yeah."

A moment passed in uncomfortable silence, before the bell was rung outside indicating it was time for the cadets to prepare for classes. Annie got up first to dump her tray, but before she took her first steps, Mina called out to her saying, "Annie wait a minute, I'll go with you. I want talk to you some more about what fishing techniques your village use and what other activities you do for fun!"

"That's alright Mina, besides I think we should be focusing these couple of minutes to prepare for class." Annie attempted to protest. However Mina wasn't having it. "Pish posh" she said, "Besides I want to introduce you to a girl named Ruth. She also has a knack for sports." After saying goodbye to everyone, she and Annie took their leave.

As the three got up to go to class, Eren asked Mikasa, "What was all that tension about with Annie?" Mikasa looked at him vacantly, and then replied, "I'm sorry, I don't know what your talking about." With that, she left. Eren turned to his best buddy and sighed, "It looks like I have hard time understanding girls eh Armin?" Armin simply pats him on the back, telling him to keep his chin up…

Eren's training with Annie continued as the months went by. Currently he has mastered basic forms, and has become proficient in his kicks. Often in their spare time, Annie demonstrates to Eren the structure and form of each technique, while putting it into real time practice during hand-to-hand combat drills.

"Alright Eren, show me how far you've come." Annie said in a semi-bored tone, holding the make shift weapon. "Let's see if you can knock this dagger out of my hand."

Eren took up his stance and thought to himself 'I'll win this time Annie. I'll show you that you haven't wasted your time on me'.

Without warning, Eren moved with dynamic speed toward Annie. Throwing her a quick jab with his left hand making her dodge, he unloaded a swift right kick toward the dagger in her hand. Annie immediately recognized his attempt, ducked down for a counter move, swinging her leg to knock Eren off his planted foot. Eren acrobatically used the momentum of his kick to spin off his foot, avoiding Annie's counter.

Backing off, Eren readied his stance again. Annie looked at him and commented, "Not a bad strategy, using your first punch as a decoy. This is getting interesting."

"It would be a lot more interesting if you actually gave this your all." Eren mentioned.

"Hmm, you don't think I'm giving this exercise all I have?" she defended.

Eren smiled and said, "I remember you dropping Reiner in our first meeting a few months ago. You were much faster and stronger than when you took me out at that time. So yeah, I think you have reserved yourself since then, along with reserving your emotions. Even though you try to hide it, I can tell you enjoy our sparring sessions."

She sighed and again in a lax tone replied, "If that is what you say Eren. Let's just see you take this weapon out of my hand before talking big."

Eren increased his focus, not knowing if he finally touched a chord in her heart…

Elsewhere on the training ground, Mikasa watched them both intensely, still wondering why Eren is so interested in learning from Annie. Today, Reiner was her partner, and he couldn't help but laugh in himself as Mikasa continued to stare at the two.

"Mikasa, aren't you supposed to focus on me rather than Eren over there?" Reiner tempted. Mikasa glanced at him and then asked, "Reiner, you and Annie come from the same village right, what kind of person is she?"

An intense look came on Reiner's face as he thought about his next words. "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know her all that well. She always tended to be a loner back home, though her father gave her a tough time. When the titans invaded our village, I heard her dad died trying to save her, but I guess only she can verify that. My family made it out, so my heart goes out to her."

Mikasa once again turned back to Annie and Eren's sparring match. She noticed a certain sadness to Annie's eyes. Reiner follows up his words in saying, "For some reason however, it seems Eren has broken through her shell. I think she may be attracted to him." At that comment, a very noticeable scowl appeared on Mikasa's face. Reiner grinned thinking to himself 'Ha, it looks like Mikasa has a thing for Yeager over there. Watch out Annie, before you have a real fight on your hands!'…

Eren charged Annie again, jumped into the air and came with a knee strike to Annie's midsection. She leaned to the left, her arms up in her stance, parried with her right knee and came back with a speedy left kick that connected with Eren's side.

With steady persistence, Eren took in the blow and remained in Annie's space, close enough for him to grab her arm and attempt to throw her down. 'Very smart' she thought, but she managed to avoid his leg sweep by using the momentum of his hold, and flipping backward.

"You're finally using your strength to your advantage. I suppose that also means your using your head as well." Annie stated.

Eren was panting a little bit, but he could tell Annie was still holding back. He was enjoying himself, seeing how far he's come since being here at the academy. He had Annie to thank for that. All he wanted her to do was express her emotions to him. He wanted to see the real Annie.

"Annie" He called, "I hope you're not holding back for my sake. If you don't take me seriously, you might end up getting hurt."

"More of that talk eh?" She resounded, "It seems you're using your strength, head, and mouth all at the same time."

Eren readied his position. 'Alright' he thought. 'I'll end this quickly, and show her I shouldn't be taken lightly.'

He began to inch toward her little by little. Once he was a few feet away from her, he dashed towards her side and unleashed a fierce kick at her shoulder. She blocked and he followed with an overhead punch towards the dagger. Annie backed away a few inches, causing Eren to hit air. Then all of a sudden, using his downward momentum and pressing hard on his legs, Eren leaped and performed a flying knee to Annie's chest. She struggled to block due to its force, causing her arms to fly into her face with painful impact. Not stopping and seeing Annie was preoccupied by defending against his knee, Eren used all his strength to push off and performed a flash kick.

Annie was thrown back, hitting the ground with such force; it caused the dagger to fly out of her hand. Eren landed safely on the ground, panting heavily. He had finally won, but it felt a little hollow as he knows he didn't beat her at her full strength.

All trainees on the practice field stopped what they were doing. They were surprised to see Annie on the ground. Reiner couldn't believe his eyes, and wondered if Annie let him beat her. Reiner turned to see what Mikasa thought of this turnabout, and he could tell there was a mix of feelings swimming around in her head…

Annie sat up, not looking at Eren as he walked pass her, picking up the dagger. She brought a hand to her lip, and realized she had a small cut judging from the blood on her hand. Then she heard Eren's voice. "That wasn't satisfying for me. I know you were holding back. I wish you would take this as seriously as I do and stop trying to hide your emotions."

Suddenly Annie's eyes widened as Eren's words struck a memory of her father that she thought she had tucked away.

* _"Stop holding back." her father said, "I can tell you are reserved when attacking me. Don't be so weak!"_*

Standing up, Annie turned to face Eren, putting her arms up and clenching her fists. Eren saw a very different look in her eyes. It was almost as if she was seeing right through him. "You want a rematch?" He said. He received no response. He gripped the dagger and mirrored her stance. "Alright Annie, but this time show me your true strength!" With that, Eren advanced upon her.

Yet this time, Annie charged him, faster than Eren's body could keep up with, but his eyes saw her all the way. Before he knew it, she managed to get behind him. Thinking quickly, Eren whipped his body, launching a powerful spin kick in her direction. Annie performed her own spin kick, and the two clashed. A loud audible crack was heard at the impact of their legs. Eren yelled in pain as the original momentum from his kick took him to the ground. Annie followed through, holding a perfect stance, eyes still hazed over.

Again, a hush fell over the practice field…

Mikasa saw Eren on the ground in pain, and her eyes widened in horror. Reiner closed his eyes thinking to himself 'It looks like she was holding back. I just hope she didn't seriously hurt him'. Reiner looked back at Mikasa, and saw the look of despair on her face. He also noticed she was completely distracted. Smiling he ponders 'Man, come to think of it, I have never been able to get the dagger away from Mikasa. Haha, I think this chance is as good as any to change that around.'

Without a word, Reiner sprinted toward Mikasa, with the objective of disarming her of the would-be weapon. In an instant, Mikasa turned toward Reiner, and he could see a look on her face that could have frightened his soul from his body. Time seemed to slow down as she dropped the dagger and swiftly lunged toward Reiner.

Reiner could barely get out two words, "Oh shi-"…

After a moment, Annie's eyes refocused, and she realized what she had done. Seeing Eren on the ground, she began to move toward him hastily saying, "Eren are you alr-". Annie stopped and took note her shadow on the ground was getting larger. Looking up, she saw Reiner flying right towards her and she jumped out of the way, leaving him eating a face full of dirt.

Eren looked to side still holding his leg, and through clenched teeth called out to him, "R-Reiner? Ugh, where did you come from?"

A semi conscious Reiner managed to point his finger in the direction behind him. Eren followed, and saw Mikasa slowing approaching their position, a look of pure hatred on her face.

"Mikasa? What is she…" Eren started to say but then it dawned on him. 'Oh no' he thought. 'She's going to fight Annie because I got hurt!'

By now, the whole yard has been watching for a while. Everyone turned their attention to the two girls, by far the best fighters at the academy, and now they were about to go at it.

Connie got up and yelled, "Alright everyone place your bets, place your bets!"

Krista began to worry and said, "Oh no, I hope they don't hurt each other." Ymir crossed her arms and said, "Don't worry Krista. Besides, I think I'd like to see them fight. It will be the most entertainment I had in a while." Turning toward Connie she yelled, "Put me down a dinner tray for Mikasa!"

All across the field, mumblings and voices of excitement could be heard. Marco asked a cadet named Daz who he thinks will win. Daz responded, "I think Annie might stand a chance, you saw what she did to Yeager."

Jean interrupted their conversation angrily and stated, "Are you kidding me. Mikasa is going to wipe the floor with Annie's face! There's no way she can beat Mikasa when she barely took out that idiot on the ground!"

As Mikasa continued to approach, Eren tried his best to sit up and stop her. "Hey Mikasa, slow down, I'm okay. I think it's just a bruise so don't get so worked up." Mikasa stopped and looked at Eren, before focusing her attention back on Annie.

"Annie" she dared, "Why don't you teach me your little techniques."

"Mikasa!" Eren called, but she ignored him. "How about it Annie, I'm sure you won't mind giving another lesson?" she provoked.

Annie studied Mikasa intently. "I don't know" Annie began, "If a beast can learn anything."

Mikasa's eyes narrowed to dangerous levels. Annie got into her stance, causing Eren to sweat nervously. He wished he hadn't pushed Annie so far, and now Mikasa is going to fight her because he got hurt.

Mikasa readied herself, lowering into a combative stance. Annie spoke, "Come" and both girls launched forward.

"ENOUGH!"

Both girls stopped seconds from each other, as they turned to see Shadis looking directly at them, standing with his hands behind his back. All the cheering and bet placing suddenly came to a halt. Eren turned and wondered how long Shadis was watching the events unfold.

"It seems the whole class has slacked off from their training." Shadis stated, as he walked forward towards the girls. Everyone began to panic, wondering if Shadis will make them run to death or miss a couple of meals for abandoning the hand-to-hand drills in favor of watching their fellow cadets fight.

Upon reaching Mikasa and Annie, Shadis said to them, "I see you two have paired up for this drill. You do know the objective is to disarm your opponent of the wooden dagger, and yet neither of you are holding one. That tells me you two have another objective to accomplish."

They remained silent, and Shadis took that as his answer. "To tell you the truth." he carried on, "I don't mind a fight or two on these grounds, but I have a feeling one of you might not have walked away if I didn't stop this fight. From now on, I forbid you two from becoming partners during these drills."

Turning around, Shadis walked over to Eren and asked, "Can you walk Cadet Yeager?" Eren attempted to get up, but gritted his teeth in pain as he put weight on his leg. Shadis summoned a couple of cadets over, and told them to help Eren up. He turned back to the class and yelled, "I HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYED THE SHOW, NOW GET YOUR ASSES BACK TO WORK! IF I HAVE TO COME BACK OUT HERE AGAIN, I'LL WORK YOU ALL SO HARD, THERE WILL BE SHOESHINERS OFFERING THEIR DAILY WAGES TO YOU OUT OF GUILT!

On that note, Shadis lead Eren and the cadets helping him to the medical hall. Mikasa and Annie watched as they left the field. They then turned from each other and began walking away before Mikasa asked, "You do know Shadis saved you right?"

Annie stopped walking and said, "I believe that's my line."

"Listen Annie, if you ever hurt Eren again, I'll make sure you pay dearly."

Annie didn't saying anything, and after a moment, she started on her way…

Later that evening, Eren tried to put weight on his leg and noticed all the pain was gone. He thought for sure he heard a crack in his leg during his fight with Annie and feared he may have broken it. He tried playing it down in front of Mikasa, but she saw through his pained expression knowing he had a serious injury. However, the doctor examined him and told him his leg appeared to be fine, just had some swelling.

Now here he was, waiting in the patient wing of the medical unit applying an ice pack to his leg, and it appears it ultimately seemed fine. After a while, a staff member opened the door and addressed him.

"Cadet Yeager, there's someone here to see you." she said. Eren figured it was Mikasa checking in on him again, being through with training and classes. 'Boy' he thought 'Mikasa is going be surprised when she sees my leg is completely fine'. Yet too his pleasant surprise, it wasn't Mikasa this time or even Armin.

"Annie!" Eren expressed in excitement.

As she walked in, the medical officer took her leave, giving them the room to catch up.

Eren eyed her curiously as she took a seat next to him and asked her, "How are you doing?" Annie looked at him for a moment before smiling and said, "You're the one in the medic's office, and you ask me how I'm doing?"

Eren laughed and said, "Yeah, I can see your point. Actually it's strange, I thought my leg might have been worse due to not being able to put weight on it earlier, but as of now it feels like there was never anything wrong with it." He showed her his leg and stood up, demonstrating to her he was in no pain.

Annie looked astonished. She to was afraid she might have broken his leg, but for it to be as it is now was a wonder. Another smile graced her face, and Eren knew this was one of relief. Immediately, guilt panged his heart. "Annie" Eren started, "I'm sorry for pushing you out there on the field."

Annie looked up at him and then turned her gaze toward the window. She spoke and said, "Your words out there reminded me of training with my father. He was a stern teacher and at first I didn't want to learn his fighting style. However after a while I came to appreciate my time training with him."

Annie got up and went toward the window to look at the first stars appearing in the sky as the sun set before continuing…

"One day he ordered me to attack him as if he were my worst enemy, to see how far I've come. At first I hesitated. He saw this and decided to encourage me by attacking first. I managed to dodge his attacks and found an opening to go on the offensive, but again I hesitated. Taking that as a sign of weakness, he kicked me to the floor. He told me how disappointed he was in me, and how he wasted so much time on such a weak person."

Eren could see even though her eyes remained strong as she looked out the window, tears began to roll down her face. "Annie" he said in concern, but she stopped him.

"I became furious." she said, wiping away her tears, "I charged him with everything I had and attacked relentlessly. Before realizing what I had done, he was on the floor, bloodied and broken. I stood there, traumatized. Yet as he looked up at me, he smiled…told me he's never been more proud."

Eren reached out to her putting his hands on her shoulders. She stared into his eyes, being surprised by the sudden contact. "Annie" Eren said, "Your father shouldn't have done that to you. Then I mess up and make you relive that memory. I…I'm sorry. I promise to never provoke you again!"

She continued looking into his eyes for a second, before brushing his hands away and walking towards the door. She stopped, and turned her head. A record third smile within the past few minutes appeared on her face as she said, "You fool. I came here to apologize to you, but…thanks."

She then exited the room, leaving Eren to ponder about his day. He turned toward the window, looking out into the evening sky.

Two years have passed. A Hundred and fifty students started out in the 104th Trainee Squad. Out of that number, only 80 remain. Many were sent home their first day at the academy. Few others received substantial injuries during training, forcing them to stop until they could recover. However, of those that remain, they have endured the toughest of training and completed their classes. The only thing that remains is where they will rank.

During morning instruction, Shadis told the cadets they would be going on a wilderness survival exercise, to put everything they learned throughout the years to the test.

"Alright cadets, this morning I will split you all into ten groups. When I call your name, stand near one of the assistant officers on my right, who are holding up your assigned group number. Once everyone is selected, I will assign each group their leader and second in command." commanded Shadis.

After calling everyone's name, having them stand in their group, and assigning their leaders for this mission, Shadis exclaimed, "Now, for this particular mission, it may or may not count against your final rank. For all intents and purposes, everyone here has pretty much graduated from the academy." This caught Jean's attention, and he raised his hand to speak. Shadis gave him the floor.

Jean saluted and asked, "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, should this mission not count against our overall rank, what is its overall purpose?"

Shadis smiled at the cadet's question and answered, "A soldier must be prepared to live off the land should they find themselves in difficult circumstances. Perhaps for those like yourself who plan to go into the Military Police Brigade, this mission may not mean much, but as stated, this mission could go against your final rank so I suggest everyone take it as such."

With no other questions, Shadis dismissed the cadets to prepare.

Back in the men's bunk, everyone was packing up everything they would need to complete the task. Eren looked over at Armin and saw him packing a notebook into his backpack. He and Armin were assigned to the same group, and interestingly enough, Shadis selected Armin as their leader. So Armin took it as his chance to impress the head instructor and finally gain his respect.

"Armin, why are you packing a notebook?" Eren asked him.

Armin smiled and addressed Eren, "I want to record our mission. Show Shadis that I can be capable and strong as our group's leader. Hopefully if he likes my progress, he'll stop making fun of my name."

An ease dropping spirit spoke, "Ha, I don't care what you do, the reason Shadis picks on you all the time is because you and Yeager are the only idiots who want to join the Scouting Legion."

Eren and Armin turned to see Jean standing there. Eren grimaced and told Jean, "You better watch it, being apart of Armin's group and all. Have you forgotten Armin was assigned our leader? With him taking notes, and you not knowing if this mission is graded, I'd be careful how I talked to him."

"He's right you know" Marco said, appearing on Jean's side, "and as second in command, I'm honored to serve Armin in anyway I can, and I won't have anyone bad mouthing our captain haha!"

Jean scoffed and said, "Whatever, this whole thing is stupid in any case. I mean, if we weren't going to be told if this was a graded assignment, the least Shadis could have done for me was put me in a group with Mikasa instead of Yeager of all people."

Eren stood up and balled his fists, "It's not like I wanted to be stuck with you either. By the way, why do you want to be in Mikasa's group?" Jean grinned and said, "Well, not that it's any of you business kid, but I intend to ask Mikasa to marry me one day. We could have used this time to be around a camp fire, and experience our first kiss."

Eren laughed out loud, causing Jean to grit his teeth, "Why would she marry someone like you."

Jean grabbed his collar and angrily asked, "You want to run that by me again kid?" Eren grabbed his collar in return saying, "I said why she would marry someone like you?" Growling in each other's face, they didn't recognized Reiner and Bertolt's approach towards them.

"Hey, I think you two make a much better couple than anyone at the academy." Reiner joked. Both boys turned toward him and gagged. Reiner and Bertolt were assigned to Mikasa's group, and she was their leader.

Marco laughed at their reaction, then turned toward Reiner and Bertolt and said, "Your group should be pretty successful on this mission with Mikasa at the helm." Reiner nodded but added, "True enough, but it should be interesting seeing as Shadis elected Annie as her second in command. Both of them got pretty worked up over Eren a couple of years ago, so it should be fun." Bertolt looked at Eren, and he felt a hint of jealousy.

Armin finished packing and stood up. "Alright I have everything I'm going to need." he said, "Why don't we all head out together to the horse stables before our groups set out." That said they ventured out...

All the groups were gathered outside in an open field south of the training grounds. Each of the eight group leaders were given their assigned destination within a forest that took a little less than a day's journey on horseback to reach. Once they reach their target, they will find a red flag with the group's number. Their mission is to retrieve it, and bring it back.

All the preparations made and with everyone ready, the cadets took off to fulfill their mission.

During the first segment of the trip, all eight groups traveled as one until they branched out en route to their destinations. Armin's group consisted of Eren, Jean, Sasha, Krista, Connie, Mina, and Marco.

Armin pulled out his map from his pocket and studied their current location. "Everyone" he said, "Once we reach point B on the map we can let our horses rest and we can eat lunch."

Sasha's mouth began to water at the mention of lunch. Jean looked toward his left and saw a peculiar lizard traveling in the same direction as their horses. "Hey, look at that. Even though we're not going full speed, it's interesting to see that lizard able to keep pace with the horses." Sasha turned and said, "I'm familiar with that species of lizard. In fact, they taste pretty good when cooked to proportion."

Jean was very familiar with Sasha's cooking skills and tastes from these years at the academy. If she said something was good, he had no reason to doubt her. "That settles it then." he said taking out a blade from his 3DMG, "I think I'm going to catch it for our lunch." This caused Sasha to really get excited.

Veering off a bit toward the lizard, Jean got in place to make a clean strike at its neck. He didn't notice Eren pulling on the other side of the lizard, and was surprised his blade's strike was block by Eren's own blade.

"Hey what gives?" an annoyed Jean asked. Eren replied, "Leave it be, there's no reason kill pointlessly when we have enough food rations for lunch."

Jean smirked and said, "Wow, I didn't know you were such an animal activist."

"It's not that." Eren responded, "I just don't like pointless harm being done. To eat something just for the sake of eating it, perhaps it reminds me too much of the titans out there."

"Ha, I just think you're taking this titan stuff too seriously kid."

"Shut up, and quit calling me kid!"

"I'll quit calling you kid when you stop acting like one!"

"GUYS" Armin called to them. They looked and noticed the rest of their group was ahead of them by a small distance. "Forget about that lizard, you're falling behind!"

Giving each other one last glare, they sped up to rejoin the pack. Before long, they reached their desired checkpoint, and stopped for a quick rest and meal. As they ate on their reserves, Sasha complained about not having that juicy lizard they saw on the way.

"Ah Eren, we could have had a feast on that lizard!" she cried. Eren was about to respond, but Armin spoke first, "Let's not start that again Sasha. Since this is a survival exercise, there will be plenty of time to hunt."

"Yeah, and if we find a lake, I can fish us out a spectacular meal as I brought my fishing rod along with me." Mina told Sasha, causing the young cadet to dance with joy. Armin smiled at Mina, before turning to Marco to discuss their next checkpoint and where they would set up camp. Once everyone was ready, they set off…

It was around evening when they reached point C on the map. "Alright guys, let's set up camp in that open clearing." said Armin.

Once camp was mostly set up, Armin turned to Mina and said, "There appears to be a small running stream nine meters in that direction, so perhaps there are fish biting tonight. If not, we can have some of our leftover reserves."

Mina nodded and began setting up her rod. He also told Connie and Jean to go with her, to keep her company. Jean and Connie started to protest, saying fishing was boring, but Marco reminded Jean that he wouldn't want Armin giving Shadis a bad report concerning him. Sighing, Jean relented, earning a punch to his shoulder by Mina, a way she shows her approval. She then puts Connie in a choke hold before he gave in.

Armin turned and said, "As for the rest of us, Eren, Sasha, and Krista, I charge you guys with the duty of gathering wood and starting a fire. Marco and I will stay here and finish setting up camp. We'll also feed the horses and strategize on the best route through the forest to our flag." They all nodded and went to accomplish their given task…

"So Connie, what military branch you're thinking about joining?" Jean asked, waiting around for Mina to catch a fish. Connie shook his head and answered, "I don't know yet, though if I make it into the top ten, it would hard to turn down a job in the MP."

Jean smirked and said, "Ain't that right. What about you Mina?"

She smiled, "The Survey Corps."

"What!" Jean and Connie exclaimed. Mina simply kept smiling, staring out onto the stream.

Jean regained his bearings and asked, "Why Mina? I hope it doesn't have to do with your coconut headed boyfriend." His comment earned him a knock on the head. "Ow!" he cried.

"I'm not necessarily doing it for Armin, but he and Eren definitely inspired me. I think about my family back home, my little brother. What if the titans attack my hometown just like they did Eren and Armin's? I want to protect them."

Connie lay on the ground and while looking at the stars he said, "That's understandable." Jean looked at Connie and mused, "It's understandable yes, but is it smart? Mina, you sure you're not doing this just to follow Armin? Chances are he and Eren won't survive much longer once they make it in the Scouting Legion. You think Armin wants that for you as well, to follow him at the cost of your life?"

She began thinking what she would do if Armin died on the battlefield, and it made her want to fight the titans even more. "Perhaps I'm selfish Jean. Maybe I want to take the fight to the titans, before they can harm the ones I love."

Jean stared at Mina, her face full of resolve. He then thought of Mikasa, how protective she is concerning Eren. 'Is she going to join the Corps over Eren?' he thought. A hard tug on Mina's fishing line interrupted his thoughts.

"Ha, looks like we got a big one here fellas!" Mina shouted with excitement. Connie and Jean helped her to reel in her catch, revealing to be a big bass on the other end. "Wow, this is a huge one!" Connie proclaimed. Mina chuckled in saying, "No fish can resist my championship bait!"

Jean's mouth began to water just thinking about the smell of their catch cooking over an open fire. "Hey guys" Mina getting their attention, "That was a pretty quick catch. Let me see if any more will bite. Perhaps we can all have our own fish, though I imagine this one is the biggest in a stream this size." Both Connie and Jean nodded in agreement…

Over in the distance, Eren, Sasha, and Krista were busy searching for wood they can use to keep a good fire going.

"This brings back memories of camping with my family." Sasha said carrying a pile of dry sticks. "Hey Eren, Krista, are you ready to go back to camp?"

Krista and Eren were off in the brush, looking for more wood they thought might be a little drier than those near the muddier patches on the ground. "We're still looking Sasha." Eren called back. He turned to Krista and asked, "How's it going over there Krista?"

"Pretty good, but I hope the wood is dry enough. I don't really have a lot of experience in camping." she shyly stated. Eren grinned, "Ah that's alright. I don't have that much experience either."

After a moment of picking through a couple of more sticks, Krista asked, "Eren, do you think I'm a dependable person?" He turned to her curiously and answered, "Of course, why wouldn't you be?" His question slightly caught her off guard. "I…I don't know." she said, "I guess sometimes I feel like I'm not pulling my weight compared to others."

Eren looked thoughtful for a minute before responding. "Well, I know if it weren't for you giving her food to eat, Sasha might have passed out from all the running Shadis made her do on our first day of training." he said, "Also I think Ymir would have gotten into plenty of trouble over the years if you weren't there to keep her stable."

She smiled. "Thanks Eren." she said, "I appreciate your words." He returned her smile and said, "Don't mention it. That's what friends are for."

"Friends?" Krista voiced her thought.

"Sure, we are friends aren't we?" Eren grinned.

As she was about to respond, Sasha called back to them, telling them to hurry it up. Standing up with his pile of sticks, Eren motioned for Krista to come along. "Well, let's go. I'm sure Sasha is dying to scarf down some fish." Krista nodded and followed Eren back on the main path to catch up with Sasha.

Something out of the corner of her eye caused her to stop. Eren turned and asked, "Something wrong?" She shook her head and said, "No, it just felt like I sensed some movement from behind us." Eren responded, "Hmm, perhaps it was a frog or something." She nodded and shook the thought off.

Sasha suddenly yelled to them, "Hey slowpokes, if you don't hurry up I'm going to eat your portion of the fish!" Eren and Krista laughed, and hurried along…

After chowing down to a good meal and receiving instruction from Armin on the direction they would take in the morning, the group turned in for the night. Fortunately for them, Shadis gave this mission during the summer time. This made it easier to sleep outside with only having their sleeping sacks.

Krista was particularly having a hard time falling asleep. Whether it was due to this being her first time sleeping outdoors or contemplating over Eren's words to her earlier, she didn't know. Sitting up in her sack, she thought a brisk walk might help her insomnia. Silently she got up and walked over to where they kept the lanterns. Upon lighting it, she decided she could also check on the horses while she's up.

As she got closer to the horses, she could see one of them was still up, chewing a bit on the grass. Walking over, she smiled and embraced its head. "It looks like you're also having a hard time sleeping." she spoke softly. Suddenly, she heard movement in the distance. "Guys" Krista called, thinking she might have woken them up. No one responded. Thinking to herself 'It must be my nerves.' Turning back to comfort the horse, she saw a human figure a few feet away, having their faced masked behind a linen sack. The figure rushed Krista…

"AHHHHH!"

Eren's eyes shot open and he sat up, only to found himself suddenly staring down the barrel of a gun. The other cadets awoke to the same circumstance, figures pointing a gun at them while others were loading their maneuver gear into the back of two horse drawn wagons.

"Don't move and we won't have to hurt you." the figure told Eren. It sounded like a man's voice, so he assumed as much.

"What are you doing, and why are taking are maneuver gear?" Eren asked.

The man replied, "Isn't it obvious. We're going to sell your equipment to the highest bidder. As you know, times are hard. In any case, it's not like you're going to put this equipment to better use. They were originally designed to fight titans, but that fight is pointless. It's better to sell it to those who find another use for them, and stop wasting tax payers' money!"

Eren seethed at the man, and in an instant grabbed at his gun and began to struggle with him. "Everyone, we can take them! Remember our hand-to-hand combat training!" Eren shouted, flipping the man to the ground and seizing his gun. Jean smiled and thought 'That smart ass, always trying to show off'.

Immediately Jean tipped the nose of the gun of his captor down. The movement caught him off guard, pulling the trigger and causing the gun to go off toward the ground. Jean then head butted him, getting him to release the gun. Jean said, "You can thank my training instructor for that move."

Eren smiled, calling to Jean and saying, "Don't get too cocky back there Kirstein. Here I thought you always slacked off during those drills."

"Put a cork in it kid. Like I'd let you show me up." Jean smirked.

Marco and Connie managed to break free and took out the other two captors. All of a sudden, they heard a scream coming from the direction of those loading up their gear on the wagons. Turning, they saw Krista being held captive, with a knife at her throat.

"That's enough, unless you want your fellow cadet to lose her life." said the man holding her.

"Krista!" Eren called. He began to move toward their direction, but was stopped by the sight of the knife being inched closer to her neck. "Not another step" he spoke, "Now put down those rifles in your hand."

Eren looked at his rifle hesitantly and back at the others, before throwing it on the ground. The rest followed suit, and their captors took back their weapons. Eren was then immediately struck to the side of his face with the back of the gun, sending him to the ground. "You little punk!" his subjugator yelled. He was angry that Eren stood up to him before. Just as he was going in for a second strike, the man holding Krista ordered him to stop.

"Leave them." he said, "Murdering someone in the military, even a trainee, will have the Military Police on our trail. Go help the others load the equipment."

The man standing over Eren gave one last look, spitting on the ground near him through one of the slits in his mask, then went with the others to do as they were instructed. Once they were finished, the man holding Krista told the cadets they would hold on to her to ensure they wouldn't be followed, and they would eventually release her at some point. So they watched helplessly as the thieves made off with their maneuver gear and Krista…

"Those bastards" said Eren, "We're not going to let them get away with this are we?"

The group looked at each other and weighed their options in silence. Then Armin spoke up. "If we pursue them outright, we may put Krista in danger." Eren responded by saying, "So we let them go and hope they keep their word in letting Krista go? I don't think that is going to happen, Armin. Guys like that don't have a conscious."

Armin held a hand and said, "Hold on Eren, I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue them. We will need to travel another route, and cut them off. Krista will stand a better chance if we take them by surprise." Armin took out his map and began calculating where they would be at the rate they were traveling in the direction they left. After a few minutes, Armin pointed toward the map and said, "They left here traveling along this western route. Judging by the speed, which couldn't be any more than 28 km per hour, we could travel at full speed on our horses going northward and then west to cut them off within 30 minutes if we left now."

Folding his map up and putting it in his pocket, Armin addressed them again saying, "A couple of us should stay here if in the event the rescuing party doesn't return before sun up. If that happens, they should head back to the academy and alert the military police."

Eren shook his head and said, "I'm definitely coming along. Without our gear we will have to fight them with our fists and I'm definitely the man for the job."

Armin turned to Mina, and upon staring back she said, "I'm going as well. They took my friend and I can't stand by waiting, knowing she's out there." Jean smiled and said, "That goes for me to. If it was Yeager they captured, I might have said good riddance, but I can't let a sweet girl like Krista suffer at their hands." The group started to laugh, as Eren threw Jean a murderous look.

Armin stood up and said, "Alright then, Sasha, Connie, and Marco, I elect you guys to stay behind. Marco, as second in command I'll leave you in charge here." Marco nodded and the rescue party got on their horses and took off…

Krista eyed her captors with a fearful expression. She had her hands tied in front of her as she sat on the side of the wagon. They have been traveling for over 20 minutes, and not much was said between her kidnappers. One of them caught her staring at him, and he got up to take a better look at her.

"You know" he said, "It's a waste just to let her go once we're near the city. We probably won't arrive until sometime in the morning. She might be a little young, but why don't we have some fun with her." Krista's eyes widened as he continued to approach her, seeing his lustful eyes through the linen mask he was wearing.

"Don't touch her." said a gruff voice from the one sitting off to the other side of Krista.

"Aw come on boss, I want to play with that pretty mouth of hers."

He cupped her chin and tilted her head so she could see the bulge in his pants. The one he called boss moved and grabbed him by his shirt, then threw him to the floor of the wagon. "I said don't touch her! If I have to repeat myself one more time, we're going to have a problem."

"I'm…I'm sorry boss, forgive me." the man on the floor said. Krista turned toward her savior, and he sat down next to her, making sure no one else tried to take advantage of her.

"Thank you, kind sir." Krista told him. He turned toward her and said, "Don't mention it. I'll make sure you are not harmed." After a minute, Krista asked him, "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why you are doing this? You seem like a good person, so why?"

He turned toward her and then back to the front of the wagon before responding, "You know, you remind me of my daughter." Krista stared at him as he continued, "She's a little younger than you and she doesn't understand the hardships of the world. With the loss of territory in the titan attack five years ago, a lot of people lost businesses and their jobs. I fall into that category. I'm doing this for my family; I'm doing it for my daughter's well being."

Krista pondered over what he said. That someone would resort to crime for their children. "If I was your daughter, I wouldn't be proud that you were committing crime." He laughed and commented, "You and her are definitely a lot alike." Krista smiled, feeling a comfort with this man, almost wishing he was her father. "However" she said, "I would be on your side. Knowing you loved me so much to go to extra ordinary lengths to make sure my life was good."

His breath was caught in his lungs at her statement. "Your friend with the shaggy brown hair, he called you Krista right?" She looked at him for a second, before nodding. He then spoke, "I can't tell you my real name, but my daughter has a storybook she likes to read and her favorite character's name is Marcus. You can call me by that name if you like."

She gazed at him for a moment before nodding and said, "Alright, thank you Sir Marcus."…

In the distance, Armin, Jean, Eren, and Mina were waiting in a tree they climbed. It had over hanging branches above the dirt path below. Eren turned to Armin and asked, "Armin you sure they haven't passed by yet?" Mina growled at him and said, "Do you doubt my man Eren?" Eren began sweating nervously and said, "No, not doubting, hehe."

Armin smiled and said, "Don't worry Eren. If I'm right, they won't pass by this spot for another few minutes. I made sure to give myself a margin of era earlier." Eren nodded his head in approval. After a couple of seconds passed by, Armin spoke again.

"Hey Jean, not that I doubt your reasons, but I must say I'm a little surprised you didn't elect to stay behind. There's a chance we could get hurt or worse in our attempt to rescue Krista. I know it's your goal to make it into the Military Police, so with the risks of this mission, I thought you might have gone with the safer bet of staying behind. I would have still given a good report concerning you once we got back."

Eren and Mina turned towards Jean, wanting to know his response. Jean thought on Armin's words, eyes glued to the dirt path below them. "I guess Marco's kindness has rubbed off on me a bit. Yeah making it into the MP is my goal, but is it not the MP's job to bring criminals to justice within the walls? Ha, I guess I'm not afraid of these thieves as I am of the titans." Everyone grinned at Jean's new doggedness.

"I guess you're starting to come around" stated Eren, "Perhaps I can convince you to join the Survey Corps if you continue to become a man." Jean sneered and said, "Oh, so I suppose you're a man now?"

"Come on guys, enough with your bickering. We have a job here to do first." said Mina, attempting to calm the two down.

Armin turned to Mina. Smiling he said, "To tell you the truth Mina, I wanted you to stay due to the reasons I mentioned to Jean. I myself am not the most physically imposing fighter on the earth, but decided to come to make sure we were able to cut them off before they got out of the forest. That and it's my responsibility as the leader of this undertaking to ensure we all go back to the academy safely."

Mina looked into Armin's caring eyes and returned his smile. Holding his hand she said, "I'll be alright. I'm not going to let those stupid thieves get away with kidnapping my friend." With that, she kissed his cheek.

'Man, it looks like braniac is getting all the action. Why can't Mikasa look at me like that?' Jean thought.

'Ha, when did Armin all of a sudden become a smooth guy?' Eren wondered.

The sound of wheels rolling down the path came to their attention, interrupting them from their thoughts. "Okay here they come." Armin stated, "Here's the plan. Eren, you and Mina jump into the first carriage. If I remember correctly, they put Krista into that one. Jean, you will come with me onto the second. That is where they loaded our maneuver gear." Everyone silently nodded, and waited for the chance to jump…

Strangely enough, Krista came to befriend her kidnapper, the one she calls Marcus. They continued their conversation about their lives and how they have come to be.

"So why did you join the military Krista?" Marcus asked.

"I guess you might say I had no choice." Krista answered, not wanting to give away too much detail. Marcus nodded saying, "I see. Well then tell me, which branch of the military do plan to go under once your training is complete?"

She thought about her answer for a moment, and responded, "I…." Before she could finish, all of a sudden a shout was heard from above, then two figures ripped through soft roof roof of the wagon.

"Eren, Mina!" Krista called in surprise.

With the sheet of the roof open, Krista could see the other wagon behind them, Its sheet also torn, revealing Jean and Armin fighting those there.

Eren started to go in the direction of Krista, but upon sensing someone raising a rifle, he turned toward their direction and tackled the man to the floor. "Mina, go after Krista!" Eren said, punching his guy in the face. "Alright" Mina grinned, and headed to rescue her friend. Two men stood in her way, while one more stood beside Krista and another at the back. Mina charged them yelling, "Out of my way!" She jumped in the air and split kicked the two in front of her to the side, able to use the close quarters of the wagon to her advantage. They fell off the wagon, leaving a clear path to Krista…

On the other cart, Jean and Armin were back to back, being encircled by five guys pointing their rifles at them. One of them shouted, "You stupid kids, you should have stayed away. Now we are going to have to teach you a lesson!"

Jean smirked, "Hey Armin, how you liking these odds, five against two?" Armin grinned, "You really want my answer Jean?" Laughing, Jean stated, "I suppose not. I'll have to remember never to ask for the odds."

Annoyed by their conversation, one of the men started to pull their trigger, but Jean anticipated their emotion and reacted quicker by pushing his gun upward, causing it to go off in the air. With the rest being distracted, Armin slung around one of the men and jumped onto his back, putting him in a chokehold around his neck. Immediately the man beside him took aim at Armin, but he used the one in his hold as a shield at the last second, the bullet hitting the man in the shoulder as a shot rung out.

Jean elbowed his attacker, taking his gun. Using it as a battle axe, he swiftly took out two more men, causing them to fall out of the cart. After seeing Armin take hold of his second guy and seeing the other holding his shoulder, Jean rushed the driver of the cart. Taking him by surprise, Jean kicked him over the side and took control of the reigns.

Seeing Jean behind them, the man in the back of the first cart pointed his rifle at Jean.

"No Don't!" Krista shouted as she ran to the man and struggled with him. This caused him to shoot at the front wheel of Jean's wagon, making it loose. Being unable to maintain its weight, the second wagon became unstable with its wheels coming off the hinges. The horse pulling it broke free, causing the cart to slide off the path and crash against a tree, coming to a rest.

"Jean, Armin!" They heard their names yelled as the first wagon continued down the road.

After Jean assessed his situation, he looked back to see if Armin was okay. "Hey, you good back there Armin?" he called. Armin had a couple of scratches, but he replied, "Yeah, I'm okay. I don't think these guys can put up any more fight." Jean looked down at Armin's feet and could see the three remaining thieves may have suffered some broken bones from the crash.

"Anyway, let's find something to tie them up with, and we can catch up to Eren and the others with our maneuver gear." Armin stated. Using the rope the thieves originally used to tie up the maneuver gear, Jean tied them to a tree. He called back to Armin and said, "The other guys who fell off the cart may have gotten away."

Armin studying some of the contents in the cart, nodded and said, "Yeah, but that's alright for the time being. Look at this, I found a flare in their belongings. I'll use it, perhaps there's another one of our groups close enough that we can alert them." He then took the flare gun and fired it into the air.

Jean came over to pick up on his maneuver gear, and strapped it on. Armin did the same. Figuring everyone else's gear would be alright, Armin said, "Okay, let's go."…

Mina and Eren eyed down the menacing figure them. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, hand over Krista and we won't have to hurt you." said Mina. He said nothing in response, causing Mina to become irritated.

"No, don't fight him!" Krista shouted, who was being restrained by the masked individual who was at the back of the cart. Everyone turned to Krista is surprise. She continued, "He's not a bad man. He's just struggling to survive. Perhaps we can help him in some other way. Ask the military for help." Eren and Mina looked at each other in question, before they heard the man start to chuckle.

Marcus spoke, "Krista, you're too kind. Actually, ten years ago I was in the military myself, the Survey Corps to be exact." Eren gasped, wondering how someone from the Corps would turn out to be a common thief.

"During my experience, I learned how corrupt the government was. How the king and his nobles biggest concerns were only about controlling the people inside the walls. The few who actually cared only wound up dying on the battlefield, never to see their families again. So I left the Survey Corps and managed to open up a craftsman's shop within the territory of Wall Maria, actually putting my skills learned in the military to good use. Yet then everything was lost in the titan attack and here I am today. The military could care less about me or my family, even after serving them for so long."

Eren stepped up and stated, "You're wrong. I know the military is lax about many things, but not to take care of its veterans? Surely they would hear you out." Marcus waved him off and said, "You're too young to see it now, but one day all of you trainees will come to hate the government."

Mina having enough, she rushed Marcus saying, "I've heard enough from a guy that hides his face behind a mask!" She threw a punch, but Marcus caught it. He commented, "The others you fought were more on your level, some of them being from the Garrison unit who haven't had much fighting experience beyond their own trainee days; however I'll be a different story." He began to crush his grip on Mina's fist. The sound of knuckles popping could be heard. "Aaaaarrggh!" she grimaced in pain, trying fruitlessly to get away from his grip.

"Mina!" Eren shouted. He made a dash for the two. Marcus grabbed Mina and threw her at Eren, making them both fall to the floor.

"Sir Marcus, don't hurt them!" Krista screamed. Marcus looked back at her, and then to the two cadets on the floor.

As Eren held Mina, he asked her, "Are you alright?" Mina rubbed her hand and said, "Yeah I'm fine. Eren, he may be too strong for us to fight." Eren looked back on Marcus, still having a hard time believing someone from the Survey Corps could become a criminal. If anyone within the three branches would resort to crime, he figured it would be someone from the Military Police.

"Don't worry Mina. I'll handle him. I can't have someone running around giving the Survey Corps a bad name."

This caught Marcus' attention. "Give the Survey Corps a bad name?" he said, "That's laughable. Out of the three, the Scouting legion is the most useless. Out of all my years of service there, the only thing we accomplished was causing the pointless deaths of countless men and women. We can't win against the titans and that is why, the Survey Corps is a disgrace upon itself."

Leaning Mina off to the side, Eren stood and took up a battle stance, eye's full indignation at the man before him. Memories of him as a kid seeing the Survey Corps off on one of their missions flashed through his head. How he always wanted to go with them. "Take it back." he said in a low voice.

Marcus looked at him curiously. Eren spoke again, a little louder, "The Survey Corps are not a disgrace, take it back!"

"Interesting" said Marcus, "You seem to care deeply about the Survey Corps, but what I said is the truth. Yet you will have to convince me to change my mind." Upon saying so, he took up a defensive stance. "Show me what they're teaching you in the academy these days."

Eren took off, closing the very short distance between them. Marcus took this as Eren's youth and inexperience, to charge in without sizing up his enemy. Quickly he threw a punch toward Eren's face. To his surprise, Eren ducked with ease and placed an uppercut blow to his chin. He stumbled back slightly before blocking a successive kick aimed at his torso.

Pushing off Eren's foot, Marcus stood back to take in the young man. "That's an interesting fighting style you have." he stated, "Is that what they are teaching the cadets at the academy now?"

Eren readied himself for another attack and answered, "No, it's something I picked up from a friend. With it I'm going to bring you down."

"Hmmm, well then, let's continue." Marcus motioned with his hand.

More than happy to oblige, Eren eased toward him. Using his upper body strength and head motion, Eren threw a fierce right punch to the mid section, but was blocked by Marcus' arm. Undeterred Eren jabbed with his left fist towards Marcus' face, missing and coming back with a punch to the chest. Marcus took it in stride, again motioning with his hand for Eren to come at him.

Once more Eren drew all his upper body strength, drawing back and placed a well aimed elbow swing at his opponent's stomach. Marcus puffed up his body and took it into his chest. With an opening, Marcus began punching Eren in the face and finally picked him up and threw him a couple of feet away on the floor.

"Eren!" Mina and Krista screamed.

Mina began moving toward Marcus, but Eren stopped her. "No Mina" he said as he got back up, blood dripping from his mouth. "This is my fight."

Mina shouted back, "Don't be stupid, he's too strong for you. We have to fight him together to stand a chance." Eren smiled and replied, "Perhaps he's physically stronger than me, and a more experienced fighter, but no way will I allow him to win. He's nothing but an obstacle in my path, but my will is stronger. I'll show him the fortitude of one aspiring to be a member of the Survey Corps."

"So that's it." Marcus spoke, "You want to join them. You are a very interesting person, very rare for someone to want to join the Survey Corps. Yet listen to someone who's been there, nothing awaits you other than heartache. The titans can't be defeated."

Eren clenched his fist and stated, "I will defeat them, every last one!" Getting back into his stance, he continued, "…and I will defeat you."

Marcus shook his head. "It seems there's no getting through to you. Or perhaps, the only thing you understand is the will to fight. I'll try to reach you through my fists. After all, if you can't beat me, how in the world can you defeat the titans?" He moved toward Eren slowly.

'If I can't beat him with my strength alone' Eren thought 'perhaps I can beat him with his'. Marcus continued to walk up to Eren, until there was only a foot between them. For a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the weight of the wheels as the cart rolled down the dirt path.

"Let's go"

No sooner than Eren spoke those words, he launched a powerful knee strike to the midsection, attempting to create space. Grunting, Marcus defended with his left arm and made a grab for Eren with his right. Eren adjusted his stance, moving to avoid the grab and performed another knee strike to create more space.

"It's time I put an end to this." said Marcus. Anticipating Eren's next move, Marcus caught his arm, and attempted to pull him down to the floor. Using the force from the takedown, Eren added his own by launching off his legs into Marcus, connecting with a success punch to the head. Mina barely got out of the way as Marcus was knocked back and fell to the floor beside her.

"You did it Eren!" Mina cheered as she moved to hug him.

"No, not yet Mina." he said panting, pointing at Marcus, who slowly sat up and rubbed his head. Mina gasped, but upon looking closer, she notices his mask was torn. This is the first time they both got a look at the face of the man they were fighting. He was a lightly tan skinned individual with a shaggy beard. His hair was shaved low, pretty similar to Connie's.

The one restraining Krista called out to Eren and Mina saying, "You damn brats. You think can beat us? Yet now that you've seen one of us, we can't let you live." Pushing Krista to the floor, he pointed his rifle at Eren.

Before he could get off a clean shot, a grappling hook seemingly coming from nowhere, struck the rifle, sending it falling out of his hands. Everyone looked up, seeing Jean and Armin following them through the air with their 3DMG. "Jean, Armin!" Mina cried in joy.

Jean shouted to them, "Guys, we're going to take that cart down. Jump off it now!" He and Armin continued to propel themselves forward, until they were out in front of the wagon. "Oh no you don't." stated the man in the back of the cart. Picking up his rifle, he aimed it Jean. Jean accelerated to his right, avoiding the first shot. As the man attempted to reload, Mina came charging his direction and caught him with a right hook, sending him to the floor.

Smiling, Armin nodded to Jean to get in position. Eren saw it as well, and made a dash to pick up Krista. "Come on Mina, we have to jump!" Eren told her.

Jean and Armin swung from opposite sides of the cart, and made a precise strike with their blades on the bindings keeping the horse connected with it. Upon seeing the horse separated, the driver jumped over the side, leaving the cart rolling down the path without control. With Krista in tow, Eren and Mina jumped over the back just as the cart came upon a turn, sending it crashing into the trees and flopping over.

They landed roughly on the ground, Eren using his body to cup Krista and Mina as best he could. Finally sliding to a rest, he asked, "Are you both alright?"

Mina looked at herself, not seeing anything broken or bruised, and replied, "I'm good. What about you Krista?" Krista nodded, "I'm fine."

Jean and Armin safely landed on the ground, and they ran over to check and see if everyone was okay. "You're plan worked!" Mina praised Armin, giving him a big hug. Eren turned to Jean and Armin and said, "It looks like you two were also successful in getting the gear back." Jean nodded, "Yeah, the rest are back down that way. We can head over there to retrieve them."

Suddenly they heard noises coming from the turnover cart in the trees. They saw Marcus and his partner crawl from the wreckage, covered with scratches and blood. "Sir Marcus!" Krista cried, as she ran over to help him. Jean tried to call her back.

"Krista, what are you doing come back!"

Ignoring his calls, she knelt down beside Marcus and checked the cut and bruise on his head. "You're going to be alright. We'll go and bring help, just don't move." she said to him. As she turned to go back to the group, Marcus grabbed her hand, got up and restrained her. Pulling out his knife and pointing it at her throat, he whispered, "I'm sorry Krista."

Eren and Jean began running in their direction, but Marcus called for them to stop. Becoming enraged Eren yelled, "Hey what's your problem. Let her go, there's no where for you to run!" Standing up, Marcus' partner pulled his rifle from under the cart, and aimed it at Eren, intending to shoot.

"Wait" Marcus told him. Turning back to the two young men, Marcus said, "Give us your maneuver gear. Tell the other one to come and put his maneuver gear down on the ground, and then I want all of you to back away."

Jean looked back at Armin, and he nodded. As Armin walked over to where Jean and Eren were standing to put his gear on the ground, Eren stared back at Marcus with contempt.

"You still want to dishonor the military and Survey Corps by selling our equipment?" he asked. Marcus frowned at him and said, "I told you before, the military doesn't care about anyone but themselves. What? You still think you can defeat the titans with your skills and equipment?"

Through clenched teeth, Eren stated, "I do!"

Marcus spat on the ground and said, "You're living in an imaginary world."

Jean and Armin unstrapped their equipment, and began backing away, motioning for Eren to do the same. Marcus called to his partner and said, "That boy is destined for pain and suffering by choosing to become a Survey Corps member. I think it's best if we spared him of that life. Kill him."

The group's eyes shot open in horror at the order he gave. With the man taking aim at Eren, Armin rushed to get in front of him screaming, "NO!"

As Marcus' accomplice started to pull the trigger, a flash of steel flew past and he realized his rifle was now shorter in length than it was a second ago. Looking to his right, he sees a girl with blonde hair crouched to his side wearing maneuver gear with her blades drawn. Her blue eyes concentrated on him, almost being frightened to death by her icy glare.

"Annie?" Eren gasped

The group then noticed a figure flying out of the trees, blades gleaming in the moonlight and closing in fast toward Marcus. Krista cried out, "No don't kill him!"

The swing of the figure's blade stopped instantly, microseconds from going clean through his neck. Everyone looked and saw Mikasa standing next to Marcus, eyes devoid of any ounce of sympathy, staring directly at him.

"You dare order someone to kill Eren?" she said in a chilling voice, "Drop your knife and let her go, or I swear I won't hesitate again in taking your life."

Seeing there was no falter in her composure, and upon looking at the fear in Krista's eyes reminding him of his daughter, he did as he was told. His partner also dropped his shell of a rifle and relented. Using the wire from the 3DMG, they managed to restrain them, putting an end to the ordeal.

The group turned to Mikasa and Annie, Mina running up to them and congratulating them for saving their butts. "Hey, you two were so badass." she said to them, "You both make a great team." Mikasa and Annie looked at each other in annoyance, and then looked away. Mina laughed and said, "Though, it's probably a good thing Ymir wasn't in your group Mikasa. I don't think she would have showed the restraint that you did, with that guy holding Krista at knife point."

Eren walked up to them and asked, "How did you know where we were or that we needed help?" Before they could answer, the rest of Mikasa's group appeared from the dirt path, arriving on their horses.

"Hey everyone" Reiner called to them.

The group walked up to meet them. Cadet Thomas Wagner got off his horse, and handed Armin a flag. It turned out to be the flag his group was supposed to retrieve for the mission.

"Hey, you got our flag!" Armin exclaimed. Reiner chuckled and said, "Yeah, Mikasa memorized the location of your group's flag when you showed her your map before we left the academy. Once we got ours, she ordered us to head in your direction, I suppose to check and see if Yeager was alright."

Eren snarled at her and said, "I'm not a baby Mikasa. You have to trust me that I can take care of myself, just like I trust you to do the same." Mikasa gave Reiner a sideways look, causing him to sweat a little.

"Anyway" Reiner continued, "when we arrived at your flag's location, we saw it was still there. We figured something could have gone wrong, and went to look for you. After traveling for a bit, we saw a flare go up. Mikasa and Annie went ahead of us to investigate." Jean smiled at Armin, giving him thumbs up.

Mina spoke up and said, "You know Mikasa, you don't have to worry so much about Eren. He held his own and single handedly took out a couple of really strong guys. All that training with Annie paid off tonight."

At hearing her name, Eren nodded and shared a glance with Annie. Mikasa caught it and thought about how much Eren changed over the years. One day he will be out there fighting titans, and it scares her.

Turning to her, Eren placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Of course with all that said, if it weren't for you and Annie, I may not be standing here right now. Thanks Mikasa!" A light blush appeared on her face as she looked into his eyes. "You're welcome Eren." she replied...

After picking up the rest of Group Armin's maneuver gear, Sasha, Marco, and Connie, they all headed back to the academy the next day as one group, also carrying Marcus and four of his accomplices with him. Once they reached the training grounds, the authorities were alerted, and they came to take Marcus and the others into custody.

As they were about to load Marcus into the holding cart, Krista asked the MP officer if she could say goodbye to him, to which he gave her a few seconds to speak.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way Sir Marcus." she said.

He simply smiled and told her it was alright. "Don't worry about me Krista." he said, "You make sure to take care of yourself. By the way, I don't think its right to depart like this without you knowing my real name. It's Raymond."

The officer motioned for Krista that it's time for him to go. At the very last second, Krista ran up to Raymond and hugged him. She then whispered something in his ear.

"What, that's your real name?" Raymond asked her.

"Yes" she replied, "However it's a secret."

Raymond smiled at her, before getting on the cart and looking at her as they pulled out…

Within the head instructor's office, Shadis finished scanning over a written report by Armin, detailing all that happened during their mission.

"So" Shadis began, still eyeing the report, "Your team had a little trouble on the way with these thieves stealing your gear."

"That's right Sir." Armin responded.

"According to the MP's identification of the lead suspect, his name is Raymond Heinrich, a former captain for the Survey Corps. Actually, it was I who elected him captain 12 years ago, while I was still commander. I remember him quite well."

Armin was silent for a few minutes, and then he spoke, "Sir, according to Cadet Yeager's words, Raymond suffered from the loss of territory to the titans five years ago. There were no benefits as a veteran, and thus he resorted to theft as a way to make ends meet."

Shadis put Armin's report down and sat back in his chair, contemplating Armin's words. "For those who enter into the Military Police or the Garrison Unit, they usually have a very long career. As active members, the military provides for their housing and needs. Those who make it into the MP, the king provides and pays handsomely for their services. Yet for Survey Corps members, if they don't die within the first year, it's not long before they retire. Most leave after two or three years of service. Of course the government sees the Survey Corps as a waste of money to fund, so you can only imagine what it's like for getting support for veterans."

"Yes Sir." Armin stated with sadness in his voice. Shadis looked at the young man and stood up. "As for you, I congratulate your team's effort to bring them to justice. You managed to retrieve the stolen gear, but more importantly, you saved your comrade Krista Lenz. You have earned my respect Cadet Armin Arlet."

"Sir" Armin said, shocked with excitement that his instructor didn't call him by the nickname he gave him. Armin saluted him. "Thank you Sir!"

A few moments went by, and Shadis was curious why Armin didn't dismiss himself. "Is there something else cadet?"

"Ah, if you don't mind me asking Sir, was this particular mission graded against our ranking in the class?" Shadis' curiosity continued to grow. He asked, "Why are you concerned Arlet? Have you a change of heart in career choices due to this incident, and are now trying to qualify for the Military Police?"

"No Sir. I just wanted to say I saw a lot of growth in Cadet Jean Kirstein. He was one of the ones to elect himself to go after Krista when she was kidnapped. He's stated his goals in becoming an MP Officer, and now I think his reasons aren't totally selfish. I wanted to recommend him to receive high marks for this mission."

Shadis walked over to the window and look out over the training grounds. Smiling to himself he said, "To tell you the truth Arlet, the real purpose behind this mission was to get a couple of days of relaxation to myself and not have to deal with you young bloods." Armin almost fell over, but managed to catch himself.

"However" Shadis continued, "my mind may be changing. You took the initiative to write a detailed report concerning your mission, and now you're vouching for your classmates. You know, I would have loved to have someone of your calibur with me back in the days when I was commander. I'm sure with your strategic prowess, many lives could have been saved and perhaps, we could have won a battle or two against those beasts." Turning back to Armin, Shadis acknowledge him and said, "You're going to make a fine scout Armin."

"Thank you Sir!"

Finished speaking, Armin took his leave, looking to join his friends in the mess hall for lunch. Shadis turned back to the window, and silently prayed for the future of his students, that they will be successful in whatever branch of the military they decided to join.


	3. Pillow Talk

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

*****_text_*** **\- indicates a flashback

… - indicates a change of pace and/or a change of scenery

**Chapter 3: Pillow Talk**

Serenity enveloped the day. It was crystal clear as far as the eye could see, and yet, thunder could be heard rolling across the plains. A large convoy of horses and wagons made their way through the vast territory behind Wall Rose, heading south toward the peripheral city of Trost.

At the head of the pack, rode former commander of the Survey Corps, Keith Shadis, now head instructor of the 104th Trainee Squad. Today was a special day for the 104th. It marked the end of their three year journey in becoming full fledged soldiers in the military.

*****_"Attention everyone! Today you officially graduate from the military academy." Shadis sounded off._

_Everyone was gathered outside in front of the compound, listening intently to Shadis' final instruction to them as trainees._

"_Your ceremony will be held in Trost this year. I've also received word the Survey Corps will be heading out today for their 56__th__ expedition. So I've decided that we will head out to Trost earlier than expected, to see the brave young men and women off as they travel into titan territory. Afterward, your graduation will be held in the evening. We will be leaving in one hour so make your preparations in haste. You are dismissed!"_*****

The procession continued along to their destination as Wall Rose and the inner gate leading to Trost, came into view.

"Sir, it looks like we've made great time!" said an assistant officer riding alongside Shadis.

"Of course." he said smiling, "Sound the celebration. These brats have officially survived their training."

The officer blew his whistle and began a victory cry.

"_The sun blazes a path only the righteous walk_

_A burning keenness of autonomy_

_The moon reflects those of gracious talk_

_A soothing comfort from obscurity_

_Innumerable stars highlight the pin of success_

_Forever etched across heaven's canvas_

_On those who breakthrough the world's duress_

_Freedom is their inheritance."_

Little by little, more began to join in the singing and cheers. Eventually the elation traveled throughout the whole procession.

Within one of the carts full of soldiers, Eren smiled to himself as he looked around at his comrades.

'I've finally made it' he reflected. 'Tomorrow I'll be able to join the Survey Corps, and I promise I'll protect all of you.'…

Once they arrived in the city, Shadis dismissed the 104th to their given dorms, telling them the Survey Corps would be leaving within thirty minutes for anyone who wanted to see them off.

Eren hurried to finish putting his things in his room, and then headed to Armin's room to see if he was ready. "Armin, you finish settling in?" he asked as he stood in the doorway of Armin's room. "I can't wait to see them off today. It'll be just like old times!"

Armin looked up from the book he was reading, toward the smiling figure before him and nodded. The two sprinted off in the direction of the common's area, and spotted Mikasa waiting for them near a bench.

"Hey Mikasa" Eren greeted, "Looks like you beat us here. You ready to go?"

"Yeah I'm all set." she answered.

Armin looked around the area and asked Mikasa, "Have you seen Mina around, I was hoping she might also wanted to come along?"

Before Mikasa could respond, Mina came running around the corner. "Wait up guys!" she called. They smiled as she caught up with them, trying to catch her breath. "Sorry I'm late. I tried to get Annie and Ruth to come with me, but they decided to stay behind. I am a little worried about Annie though. Ever since we came here, she's been more distant than usual. I'm sure Ruth decided to stay to keep her company."

Eren smiled and waved it off saying, "Ah it's just Annie being Annie. She's probably worried about being in the top ten of the class like everyone else. Of course I have my own reasons for being in the top ten." Mikasa stared at him, remembering his declaration to Jean about graduating in the top of their class.

"Anyway" he continued, "Let's go before we miss the procession."…

The multitudes aligned the streets leading up to the outer gate. Many women within the crowd wanted to catch a glance at the handsome commander, Erwin Smith.

"Oh, I wonder if he's married?" a woman said to her friend.

"I don't think he is, but it won't be long before he chooses a blushing bride as his wife." she responded, her face turning a feverish red.

"Ha, like he'd choose one of you naggers over someone like me!" a third behind them challenged. The other two turned around, and a tussle broke out.

Members of the Garrison Unit and a couple from the MP came to break it up. Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Mina watched from afar. Armin laughed and said, "It looks like things are more festive then I can remember."

"Yep" replied Eren, grinning at the sight. "Yet seeing the crowd brings back a lot of memories for me. Soon, I'll be riding out into titan territory with the Survey Corps."

Mina looked up at Eren and said, "Me and you both." This caught Eren by surprise. "What, really?" he asked. She nodded and said, "You're not the only one who has the guts to face the titans. Though to be honest, I never seen one for myself, but again I'm not afraid."

Eren smiled, but he couldn't help but notice the slightly worried look on Armin's face. "Hey don't worry Armin. Mina's a skilled fighter. The titans are the ones who should be worried." Eren said. Mina grinned and held squeezed Armin's hand. She then turned to Mikasa and asked, "What about you. I don't think I ever heard your intentions on what branch you will join?"

Mikasa instinctively touched her scarf and said, "I also intend to join the Survey Corps. I want to make sure Eren keeps his head on straight when he's out there on the front line."

Eren made a 'Here we go again' face. Mina laughed and stated, "Ha, why don't you just tell him how you truly feel already? I know you like Eren!" The two blushed with embarrassment.

"W-What Mina!" Eren stammered, "Come on we're family. Mikasa is just babying me because I've always got into fights with other kids in the past. Yet now I'm a soldier and can handle myself." Mina shrugged and said, "Whatever. By the way it's not like you two are biologically related."

Eren and Mikasa shared an uncomfortable stare with one another before their attention was stolen away by the cheers of the crowd. Coming down the street atop their horses, were the soldiers of the Survey Corps.

"There he is! Commander Erwin Smith!" shouted some of the women in the crowd.

Leading the group, Erwin waved and nodded to the crowd, his eyes firm and confident. Coming up directly behind him were some of his leading soldiers, Captain Levi, and squad leaders Hange Zoe and Mike Zacharius.

"I don't see how all this attention doesn't bother him." Levi stated coolly. Mike smirked and spoke, "What? Don't tell me you're jealous Levi. I see some women yelling your name as well." As if on queue, a couple of women in the distance yelled, "WE LOVE YOU LEVI!"

Levi sighed, causing a wide grin to cross Hange's face. "No need to be embarrassed. I think you settling down with someone would do you some good." she said laughing, "Though I doubt she would be as much of a neat freak as you."

Levi began rubbing his temples, feeling one of his famous 'Hange Headaches' coming on. Upon looking back up at the crowd, a group of individuals caught his eye. Hange noticed his gaze and followed. Up a bit stood the four soldiers Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Mina.

"Ah!" Hange proclaimed, "They must be apart of the group graduating from the academy today. It's rare to see new soldiers seeing us off. You think any of them will join the Scouting Regiment?"

Levi was silent for a moment. "I doubt it." he replied. As they passed them by, Eren gave Levi a nod, causing him to blink, somewhat surprised by the acknowledgment. Mike and Hange laughed at the rare occasion of Levi's shock.

Up ahead, Erwin spotted someone he was well acquainted with, and galloped off to the side to speak with him.

"Commander Shadis" Erwin greeted.

Shadis smiled at his successor and said, "I thought I told you to never refer to me by that title again."

Upon getting off his horse, Erwin returned the smile and said, "My apologies, it's just that seeing you reminded me of my days as a captain. It's good to see you Sir."

The two exchanged handshakes, and Shadis patted him on the shoulder. "Your regiment looks strong. I've heard you resumed capture operations as well, helping us to further learn how to defeat the titans and save more lives. I always knew you'd make a better commander than me."

Erwin shook his head and said, "You're too hard on yourself. I wouldn't be half the man I am today if it weren't for you. By the way, how's your graduating class of soldiers coming along? Do you reckon there might be any who will join the Survey Corps?"

Shadis nodded. "Yes" he said, "In fact there might be two this year for certain. One of them reminds me of you actually. He has a strong penchant concerning the outside world, and his depth for strategic planning is unrivaled." Erwin pondered for a moment and said, "Interesting. If they sign up, I can't wait to meet them."

The procession finally arrived near the gate, causing Erwin to cut his conversation short. "Again, it was good seeing you Sir. Be assured I will look after those you've trained who sign up for the Corps." Shadis nodded and told him to take care.

Getting back on his horse, Erwin galloped toward the gate and turned back to address the group as the crowd grew silent.

"Be ready scouts, for we are about to enter enemy territory." Erwin commanded. "As you go, expect nothing less than victory and you shall see it! We represent humanity's hopes and dreams, and that is a responsibility we joyfully accept."

Eren could barely hold in his pride as he heard Commander Smith speak. Armin couldn't help but grin at his friend's ecstatic eyes. He turned toward Mina and put his arm her, promising inwardly he will be strong enough to protect her and his friends when it's their turn to enter titan territory. Mikasa smiled at the affection Armin shows for Mina, seeing how far they all have come since they entered the military.

The Garrison scouts atop the wall searched for any presence of titans outside the gate. Seeing none, they gave the clear signal. With that, the outer gate began to open.

"This marks the beginning the 56th expedition." Erwin remarked. The gates now being fully opened, Erwin raised his hand in the air. He then thrust it forward with a loud shout, and they were off. The crowd cheered their loudest, praying for the regiment's success.

Above the roaring crowd, in the clock tower about a block from the gate, stood Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover.

"Without the Survey Corps' presence, tomorrow's task should be easier." Bertolt commented.

Reiner nodded and said, "Also with these years of training, we should be much stronger to finish the job, even all the way to the interior. Once this is over, we can finally go home, and let the titans do the dirty work."

The two nodded and made their descent from the tower…

Later that afternoon, the 104th stood in formation before a massive hall for their graduation ceremony. As Eren looked around him, he could see the pretty sizeable crowd cheering them on.

"Jean-boy, I'm so proud of you!" Jean's mother called out to him.

Eren couldn't help but snicker at the utter embarrassment on Jean's face. Jean was one of the few cadets who had family in the stands. However as much as it pleased Eren to laugh at Jean's lack of comfort, he couldn't help but feel sorrow as well, wishing his parents could see him now. He remembers when they first found out his intentions of joining the Survey Corps…

*****_"We're home!" Eren called as he and Mikasa stepped inside the house._

"_Boy, that's a lot of firewood you two collected." Karla Yeager exclaimed, "That should be enough to fuel the stove for a few days." She went to pinch Eren's cheek, causing him to become annoyed._

"_Come on mom I'm not a baby." he said, causing Karla to laugh._

_Grisha Yeager smiled, looking up from the book he was reading. "He's right Karla." he said, "Our little Eren is not so little anymore. Someday he will make his path in life, and have a family of his own."_

_Eren gave his father a big smile, causing Karla to sigh. "My little boy is all grown up." she said," I suppose then he doesn't want the lunch I made for him, his favorite dish when he was younger."_

_Eren lit up and cried, "YOU MADE….um uh, I mean you made chicken stew?" Karla nodded as they all laughed at Eren's attempt to hide his excitement._

"_Come on you two, I'll fix you a bowl." she said. Eren and Mikasa sat down at the table next to Grisha, as Karla fixed them their lunch. "Enjoy!"…_

_About halfway through their meal, Grisha took out his bag and began putting his medical supplies into it, preparing to leave for a scheduled appointment._

"_Ah I hate it when you have to leave dad." Eren said in disappointment. Grisha rubbed his son's head and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back in a few days. Make sure you look after the house while I'm gone." Eren grinned and said, "You can count on me!"_

_As Grisha turned back to pack the last of his supplies, Mikasa decided to make conversation._

"_So, Eren wants to join the Scouting Regiment." she stated._

_Both Grisha and Karla stopped what they were doing, a look of grave concern painted across their faces. Eren turned to Mikasa in anger saying, "Thanks a lot big mouth, it's clear you don't know what it means to keep a secret!"_

_Karla swiftly went to Eren's side, looking him in the eyes and said, "Now you listen to me. Get that crazy idea out of your head. There's no way I'm letting you go out there and get yourself killed!"_

"_Stop worrying about me mom, I'll be more than ready to fight those beasts outside the walls once I'm old enough to train in the military. One day Armin and I want to see what's out there in the world."_

_Karla gritted her teeth. "Is Armin the one who put this crazy notion in your head? I want you to stop talking to him from now on."_

"_What!" Eren angrily retorted, "Leave him out of this. This is my decision!"_

"_Don't you dare raise your voice to me like that young man!" Karla rebuked._

"_Eren" Grisha called, causing the two to stop and look at him. "Listen Eren, it's a hard life for one in the Survey Corps. Most do not make it back alive, but for many who do; they are never the same psychologically. I've treated many over the years so I should know. Some have even decided to take their own life due to the nightmares causing them to lose precious sleep."_

_Eren looked down at his empty bowl with a sad expression. Karla began to settle down, thinking her husband has finally reached their son. Mikasa also seemed content. Then Eren spoke again._

"_I understand, but I can't stand the feeling of living behind these walls like caged birds. I'm tired of all the fear, it's like I'm not even living at all. There is so much to see in the world, and we're stuck here. Those titans have no right to take our lives away from us! I refuse to let them take it away."_

"_I see" said Grisha after a pause silence. "In that case, I better be off before I'm late to the ferry."_

_Eren looked at his father as he got up and went toward the door. He feared he may have let his father down by his decision. Karla tried to catch him before he left saying, "Wait a minute darling, aren't you going to forbid him from joining the Survey Corps?"_

_Grisha kissed his wife and said, "The boy has a strong heart. I don't think words will change his mind. By the way, I may be gone an extra day or so, I just remembered I have to give an important official within the interior some information concerning my research in the basement."_

"_Dad" Eren called just before Grisha left. He turned to look toward his son, noticing Eren's eyes were beginning to water. "You don't hate me because of my decision do you?"_

_Grisha placed his bag on the floor and walked over to him. Upon looking up at his father, Grisha embraced him and said, "I could never hate you son. You are very brave for wanting to take back the world from the titans." Tears of joy streamed down Eren's face as he hugged his father. "Thanks dad!"_

_After also hugging Mikasa, Grisha went back toward the door and picked up his bag. As he looked in his wife's eyes, he could tell she was still worried for Eren's sake. Turning back he called, "Eren, be good to your mother while I'm gone. If she gives me a good report when I get back, I'll let you help me with my research."_

_A big smile crossed Eren's face and he pledged, "Don't worry dad, I'll be good!"…_*****

Eren instinctively touched the key to his father's basement that he kept on his person at all times. It is the last connection he has with his father. Amazingly, he doesn't know how it got in his possession, but he vowed he would never lose it and would give it back to his father once he was found.

The crowd began to quite down as a group of officials came out and walked on the platform. As the lead official took center stage before the cadets, they gave him a salute.

"Congratulations cadets of the 104th Training Regiment. Your hard work and determination has paid off and today you graduate as full fledged soldiers of the military."

As the ceremony went on, each soldier received their badge of membership and a certificate. Once again, the lead official took to the platform and announced, "Now, tomorrow each of you will choose which branch of the military you will fall under. The Garrison Unit, the Survey Corps, and only the top ten will have the choice of joining the Military Police Brigade. So without further ado, I will now call the names of those who graduated within the top 10."

This is the moment all the soldiers within the 104th had been waiting for. Jean began to smile and thought 'MP here I come!'

"As I call your name, come join me and stand to my right." said the official. "At the 10th rank, Soldier Krista Lenz"

Krista looked shocked upon hearing her name. The crowd started clapping as she walked toward the podium. Looking down among her fellow soldiers, she caught sight of Ymir, who gave her a thumb's up. Krista smiled at her friend, tears almost falling from her eyes. "Thanks Ymir." she said to herself.

"At the 9th rank within the 104th Trainee Squad, Soldier Sasha Blouse"

Sasha immediately began jumping in place, and practically ran up the steps of the platform. Many of her squad mates and even people in the crowd couldn't help but laugh at her excitement. After standing next to Krista, she noticed the scene she caused, and began rubbing her head shyly.

Smiling, the official continued reading, "With the 8th ranking, Soldier Connie Springer"

Rubbing his nose in acknowledgement, he went to take his place on the platform. Eren smiled. He never thought a whole lot about Connie, but he always knew he could count on him. 'I'm sure Shadis would be surprised to see Connie up there' Eren thought.

"Now the 7th ranked member within the top ten, Soldier Marco Bott"

Marco grinned, exhaling the breath he kept in ever since Krista was first called up. Jean patted him on the back as he walked passed him saying, "Congratulations Marco, you made it man." Marco nodded and said, "Thanks. I'll be waiting for you up there."

As the crowd's clapping died down, the official moved on, "Our 6th ranked of the 104th, Soldier Jean Kirstein"

Jean smirked and thought 'Well, that wasn't a long wait'. Walking by, Jean got a look at Eren, and his smile grew wider, whispering in his direction, "Have fun out there fighting the titans." Eren grimaced at his smugness. He thought 'Wow, this guy really knows how to sour a joyous occasion'.

Before Jean walked up the platform, he heard his mother calling, "That's my boy!" This drew a few snickers among the crowd.

"With the 5th rank, Soldier Eren Yeager"

A dumbfounded look came upon Jean's face as he stood next to Marco on the platform. Eren looked up at him and nodded, silently reassuring him he heard right. As Eren walked toward the platform, many within the 104th acknowledged him and shook his hand. The crowd sensed the strong bond the 104th had with him, and began clapping with extra enthusiasm.

As Eren walked across the platform and took his place beside Jean, he heard him whisper through clench teeth, "This is bullshit." Eren simply smiled in response.

Once again the crowd quieted down, and the names continued.

"Ranked number 4 is Soldier Annie Leonhart"

'Annie' Eren reflected. He watched as she walked toward the platform with her usual stoic expression. He started chuckling inside as he knew all the clapping and attention was making her uncomfortable.

As she stood beside Eren, he spoke, "Congratulations Annie!" She slightly turned her head toward him, and something about her eyes frightened him. He was used to her annoyed looks, but this time her eyes conveyed a sense of complete emptiness. "Annie?" he said, about to ask her what was wrong, but she turned back toward the crowd, cutting off her attention.

"At the number 3 ranking is Soldier, Bertolt Hoover"

Bertolt walked up the platform with a confident stride to him, something that belied his shy nature. Eren nodded his head in approval, to which he returned.

"The number 2 ranking goes to Soldier Reiner Braun"

After Eren, Reiner was the most adored cadet among the 104th. He's helped many of them press through the tough training, and he's been known to joke around a bit making them laugh. There's no question Reiner made everyone feel better about themselves.

A roaring cheer came from them as he walked on the stage. He wave to them in acknowledgement and nodded to his classmates on the podium. As he passed by Annie, his smile dimmed, looking into her fierce eyes, as if questioning who he was. Shaking her off, he took his place next to Bertolt.

"…and finally" the official stated, "your number 1 rank member of the 104th Training Squad, Soldier Mikasa Ackerman."

The crowd rose to their feet and gave a thunderous applause for Mikasa as she walked on the podium. The head official shook her hand and awarded her the medal of highest honor. Then he asked her, "As the number one trainee, would you like to offer a few encouraging words to your class?"

She was somewhat hesitant and was about to decline, but after looking over and seeing Eren's confident smile, she nodded. Giving her the stage, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I am greatly honored to be your top ranked soldier. All of us have worked very hard to reach this point, and I want to take this time to congratulate all of you on your success. May each of us have long and fulfilled careers in the military."

The crowd applauded her again and to her surprise, her fellow soldiers saluted her. Smiling, she returned the gesture, and saluted them…

"So Eren, we all know you vowed to go into the Survey Corps even if you made it in the top ten, but now that the choice is before you, are you really going to pass up a spot in the Military Police?" asked Connie.

After the graduation ceremony, all the soldiers gathered into a large banquet hall to celebrate. As usual, a small crowd of his fellow mates surrounded Eren, always interested in hearing about his dreams and passion.

"Of course Connie." Eren assured. Finishing drinking the cup of tea in his hand, he continued, "Once the titans are defeated, humanity will be able to travel around the world and come across places much more significant than anything in the interior."

Listening from a short distance over, Jean could barely hold his displeasure. Not only did Eren rank higher than him, but now he's treating the position of MP as if it was undesirable. Jean muttered under his breath, "I've had about enough of this smug bastard."

All of a sudden Thomas Wagner expressed, "Come on Eren, let's face the facts. We can't beat the titans. It was good hearing you all these years, but the reality is, all we can do is hold on to what we have and hope another attack like the one five years ago doesn't happen again."

Eren shook his head and said, "You're wrong Thomas. We know the titans' weak point. It's only a matter of striking effectively, and we can wipe them out, one by one. The only reason this has not been accomplished yet is because of our fear of them. It's time for the titans to experience fear."

Thomas sighed and responded, "I don't believe it's that simple. Listen, I'm only speaking to you as your friend. Don't be foolish and pass up this opportunity to live within the interior. Nobody here will think less of you. Perhaps sometimes, fear is a good thing, if it keeps you alive."

Eren slammed his cup down on the table and stood up. "I can't believe what hearing from you!" Eren shouted, "Fear, is a good thing? Is this what we've come to? Well, I give everyone the right to call me crazy if they want. I rather die fighting them than hope and pray they don't find me behind these walls."

Getting up to leave, Eren looked back and said, "Perhaps I can speak to the officials on your behalf Thomas. Maybe I can get them to give you my spot in the MP. I'm sure they would accept frightened soldiers like yourself." That said Eren left the party, leaving Thomas and the others with a pained expression.

Armin placed a hand on Thomas' shoulder and said, "I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you. Sometimes Eren can be strong willed, but he respects you looking out for him." Thomas nodded and thanked Armin for his words.

Mikasa rose from the table, getting Armin's attention. "Mikasa?" he inquired. She turned to him and then back to the door. "I think I'll go speak with him. To cool him down." she answered. She then took her leave.

Outside, Mikasa found Eren sitting on the steps leading up to the hall.

"You know, you should go back in there and apologize." she said to him flatly.

He turned to see her coming in his direction. Mikasa could see a guilty look was already written on his face. "You and my conscious agree." he declared soberly, "but there's a part of me that's holding me back, telling me what I said in there needed to be said."

She sat down beside him, looking out ahead at the people walking around in the street. After a moment of silence, Eren exclaimed, "I think Mina, Armin, and I will be the only ones who will join the Survey Corps."

Mikasa eyed him down. "Aren't you forgetting about me?" she asked. Eren turned to her and stated, "I know you said you desired to join, but I know why, and I believe it's for the wrong reason. Forget about me Mikasa. You are in the top ten, and can choose to live in the interior."

She scowled at his response and said, "Oh, I thought you viewed choosing to live in the interior as cowardly, yet you don't have a problem if I were to choose it? Is that not hypocritical?"

Knowing she caught him, he openly sighed. Another moment of silence passed before them, a brief rush of wind causing Mikasa to clutch her sacred scarf. Breaking the silence she declared, "I'm joining the Survey Corps with you. I want to see your dreams realized."

Eren smiled and said, "Thanks Mikasa. You've always been there for me. Someday I would love to return the motion."

She blushed slightly saying, "You have already helped me before. You saved my life."

Eren gave her a thoughtful look, both staring into each other's eyes. Before he could say anything else, Armin and Mina came out to see how everything was going.

"Hey guys! You coming back inside, this party is starting to turn up haha." Mina called to them. They both stood up, but Eren called back to them and said, "Actually I'm feeling kind of tired. I think I'm going back to my room to get some rest."

Feeling Mikasa might duck out to, he said to her laughing, "You stay and have fun. As the number one ranked soldier, you are now the life of the party."

Beginning to protest, he gently pushed her toward Armin and Mina. "You two take good care of her." Eren called.

"We will!" Armin replied.

Mikasa took one last look back at Eren before smiling and going back inside with her friends. Eren exhaled, and began walking toward his barracks. After walking for a few minutes, he spotted a certain blonde standing near a fountain, looking up toward the afternoon sky.

Getting her attention he called, "Annie!"...

Bertolt sat back at a table to himself, observing the room around him. He's always been a man of few words, but it's not as though there aren't things he's fervent about.

While tasting his cup of hot cocoa, he caught sight of Reiner talking to some of the other graduates. Unlike him, Reiner could definitely speak his mind and associate with everyone. Sometimes Bertolt wished he could be like his best friend and not be so shy. However at this point in time, shying away from everyone may be the better thing to do.

Putting his cup on the table, the words Annie spoke a short while ago began to bother him…

*****_Off to the side of the grand hall that held the graduation after-party. Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt met in an isolated spot near the city's canal._

"_So, Reiner, you think you'll be ready to act tomorrow?" Annie asked._

_Reiner narrowed his eyes at her. "What's that suppose to mean? Of course I'll be ready, it's my duty." he said. Annie closed her eyes and made it known her apathy towards him. Growling Reiner said, "If you have something to say then say it."_

"_Well I'm a little confused." she stated, "These past couple of years all you've done is grow closer to these people. Do you really believe you can turn that switch off and watch them die as a result of our actions?"_

_Bertolt studied his best friend's face and could tell he struggled to shoot down Annie's argument._

"_What is it to you Annie?" Reiner shot back, "Nobody said this mission would be easy, whether we bonded with them or not. Of course not all of us are as good at killing our emotions as you are."_

_Bertolt held up a hand to his friend and said, "Wait a minute Reiner, I think that was too harsh." Reiner turned to his friend and smiled. "Too harsh for Annie?" he said, "I doubt anything can be."_

_Without saying a word, Annie turned to leave._

"_Hey, we're not done discussing the plan for tomorrow." Reiner called to her._

"_I know what I'm supposed to do." she said without stopping, "You make sure you do your part."_

_Before she could get out of ear shot, Bertolt moved and called, "Annie!" She stopped momentarily. Knowing he had her attention he asked, "Aren't you coming with us to relax at the party. Even if it's just a moment, we can unwind from all the stress of our undertaking, and enjoy this final moment with our comrades."_

"_Comrades Bertolt?" Annie spoke without turning to face him, "They are not our comrades. All of them are going to die tomorrow because of what we're going to do. I refuse to play this lie anymore. If you two were smart, you'll cut yourselves away from them right now. Before it's too late, and you can no longer look at yourself in the mirror due to the blood on your hands."_

_She then continued to walk, until she disappeared from his view._*****

"Hey Reiner!" Nac Tius called to him, snatching Bertolt away from his thoughts. "Remember that time Shadis caught you trying to sneak into the girls' barracks, and you had to pretend you were sleep walking?"

Everyone at the table started to laugh. Reiner said, catching his breath, "Oh man, don't remind me. I'm still having nightmares from the punishment he gave me in having to roll uphill."

As they continued to laugh, Bertolt unconsciously grimaced…

Eren and Annie walked together in silence. She told him she was heading to her room to rest, and much to her dismay, he volunteered to walk with her. Annie knew the only way to get rid of him quickly, is to go ahead and allow this inconvenience. Thankfully, he chose not to speak much.

"Annie, can I ask you a question?" Eren spoke.

'I knew he couldn't keep his mouth shut for long' she thought with a sigh.

"What is it?"

Looking at the busy street and then toward the sky, Eren asked, "Do you think I'm a hypocrite if I were to tell you I'm glad you're going into the MP, staying safe from the titans?"

"Yes" she stated plainly, "A big hypocrite."

Eren chuckled and said, "Figures. That's what Mikasa told me. You know, you two are a lot alike." The slight scowl that came on Annie's face didn't go unnoticed by him, causing him to smile. Continuing on he said, "Yet unlike Mikasa, you didn't always take it easy on me. Your training always pushed me to my limits and beyond, and you taught me a lot about the world. I want to thank you for that."

Expecting her to smile at his comments, he was disappointed to see a sad expression on her face instead. Mina had told them Annie seemed troubled since entering the city, but he thought that was just her nerves bothering her concerning being in the top ten. Yet even after graduating at the number 4 rank, all he can remember is the look of emptiness in her eyes.

"Annie…" he began to say, but was cut off by her saying, "Listen Eren, forget all that stuff."

"What?" he said stunned, "Forget the training, your fighting style?"

"Not just the training, forget everything. All the time you spent with me and all the conversations we've had. I'm not worthy of that kind of recollection." she finished.

He was at a lost for words. How could he forget her? She is a major reason for why his time at the academy was so special. "No Annie" he uttered, "I can't do that."

She looked at him and asked, "You can't or you won't?"

"Both."

With an annoyed sound escaping her lips, she sped her pace up a little, trying to avoid anymore conversation. Eren thought to himself 'Why is she so stubborn, and more importantly, why does she have such a low view of herself?'

They continued in silence, until they finally reached the female quarters.

"Well, you've fulfilled your duty of walking me to my room. Now I'll have to bid you good evening." said Annie, a hint of irritation still discernable.

"Yeah" Eren replied somberly.

As she begun to walk to her room, Eren swiftly moved in front of her, catching her off guard. "No wait." he announced, "Listen Annie I know you like to keep to yourself, but I want you to know you're a very special person to me."

She looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but sincerity. Unable to meet them any longer, she turned away, the same look of emptiness he had seen before was once again present. "Annie" he began, but she stopped him and said, "Just go, please."

After a second, Eren decided to give up. "Alright Annie" he whispered, "I'll leave you alone."

With that, he began walking toward his dorm. He couldn't believe the amount of sadness he was feeling. 'Why wouldn't she open up to me?' he thought 'I guess in the end it doesn't matter. No matter how hard I try, she just won't express herself, truly.'

About to turn the corner toward his quarters, all of a sudden, Eren felt two hands grasp onto his right. Turning around, he saw her, tears rolling down her face. "Annie!" he said in concern.

Annie thought about her words to Bertolt and Reiner, about getting too close to their "comrades", and a smile inched its way on her crying features. "I guess I'm a big hypocrite too." she laughed. Eren gave her a puzzled look.

Shaking her head and wiping away her tears, she said, "Don't mind that. What I meant to say was I don't think the others will be back from the party for another few hours. If you want, you can come up with me, and we can catch up. With you going into the Survey Corps, I probably won't see you around much anymore after today."

With a little wetness still around her cheeks, Eren brought up his left hand and wiped them dry with his thumb. While still cupping her cheek, she touched his hand and stared into his emerald rich eyes. For this one day, she didn't care what her actions meant. If everyone she befriended were going to die tomorrow, if Eren was going to die, she wanted to make sure his last day was an enjoyable one.

Leaning in, he gently kissed her. Pulling away only an inch, he nudged her nose and forehead with his, showing her much endearment before deepening his kiss. After a few seconds, he pulled away again and said to her, "Annie, I want you."

Nodding, she led him into her room, closed and latched the door…

At a table to themselves, Jean and Marco were busy discussing their rankings and their plans for the future. Jean couldn't wait to move within Wall Sina and start his new life in the lap of luxury.

"Once I get settled in and make some money" he said, "I'll buy my mom a house within the Yarckel District. It's the least I can do for her for raising me."

Marco nodded and said, "That's admirable Jean."

Laughing and taking a bite out of the cake on his plate, Jean asked him, "So what about you? You're moving your family in Sina as well?" Marco looked out toward his fellow soldiers talking on the floor, and Jean could tell something was eating on his mind. "Hey, I never took you for a daydreamer Marco, what's on your mind?"

Marco sighed and answered, "You know Jean, I've been thinking lately, about Eren's words. You know I want to serve the king. There's no greater honor to me than that. Yet I've been wondering, perhaps I would provide better service in protecting the king, by fighting the titans directly."

Jean nearly choked on his next bite of cake. Putting down his fork, he addressed Marco's plans.

"Don't tell me that idiot with a death wish has brainwashed you as well Marco? Come on let's get serious!"

"I'm being serious Jean." Marco said standing his ground, "What if the titans continue to break the walls, like they did with Maria? As long as those two special titans are out there, no one is safe."

"Hear me out Marco." Jean began, "I understand your passion to protect and serve everyone. Even I'm inspired by it, but learn something from me. Sometimes you need to worry about yourself for a change. Worry about your family. How do you think they will feel if you died out there on the battlefield?"

Marco countered angrily in saying, "Will it matter if the titans turn our home into the battlefield? How would you feel Jean if a titan came and ripped your mother to treads? Is that something you could stomach while living in your mansion?"

"Son of a bitch!" Jean yelled, grabbing Marco by his collar and forcing him out of his chair.

Nearby, Sasha, Ymir and Krista heard the commotion, and came to break them up. "Come on guys." Sasha stated coming between them, "We're supposed to be celebrating, so relax."

Ymir started to laugh a bit and commented to Marco, "Wow freckles. I didn't know you were the type to get in confrontations." Krista shook her head at her and said, "Don't instigate him Ymir."

Frustrated, Jean began to walk off. Yet Marco called out to him, "Look Jean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for my words to come out like that. Ultimately I haven't yet decided what I will do with my career choice."

Jean looked at him, and then sighed. "It's your choice Marco; you don't have please me with it."

He then moved on, searching for somewhere to get a breather. Moving through the crowd of chatting soldiers, he began contemplating the impact Eren has had on the whole regiment. 'It looks like that guy won't be satisfied until he gets everyone killed.' he angrily thought. Suddenly he stopped as his eyes laid on Mikasa talking to her friends across the room. 'Will she join him to?' he mused. Feeling a wrench in his gut, he knew he had to know for sure. Perhaps he could talk her out of it if nothing else.

Mikasa along with Armin, Mina, and Ruth were busy discussing their days as trainees.

"Excuse me everyone, I'm sorry to interrupt." they heard a voice say. Turning around they saw Jean standing beside them, with something of a sad expression. "Mikasa, can I speak to you for a moment in private?" he asked.

Not knowing what to say and being a little worried about his serious tone, she excused herself and followed Jean to a lone table near the corner. After they sat down, she spoke and said, "What is it Jean?"

Initially looking around for someone Jean asked her, "Have you seen Eren around?"

"He left to go rest a while ago." she answered

Smiling, Jean exhaled and said, "That's good. He can be a bit bothersome sometimes, in just the right moments."

"Is that what you wanted to ask me?" she said, a bit bothered by his comments, "Next time just ask outright, the others wouldn't care."

Getting up from her chair, she started back toward her friends, but was stopped by Jean catching her hand. "No wait, that wasn't what I wanted to ask." he said. Her gaze turned downward at his hand holding hers. Seeing her awkward expression, he let go and said, "I'm sorry."

Sitting back down, she studied Jean's face, trying to figure out what was up with him. Following a brief pause, he began, "I've been talking with Marco lately and now it seems he's unsure if he wants to join the Military Police, and instead thinking about going into the Survey Corps."

Her eyebrows slightly rose at this. She stated, "That's interesting. I thought he was set on serving the king directly."

"Yeah, but it seems Eren has inspired him to fight against the titans." he answered. Jean's heart sunk a little upon seeing her reaction to his words. A smile crept across her face, and she seemed to be off in her thoughts. Speaking again, "Mikasa what I wanted to ask you is this. What branch of the military will you be joining?"

Focusing back on him, she was a little alarmed at the anxiousness in his voice. "I plan to go into the Survey Corps." she admitted.

Jean's worst fear was realized, and instantly he began to plead with her. "Why Mikasa?" he asked, "You're the number one ranked trainee out of our class. Out of all of us, you would receive the most esteem from the king. Why turn all that down just to fight titans? Or is there another reason?"

"What are you talking about Jean?" Mikasa asked. She was getting agitated at the thought of having to explain her dealings to him.

Jean looked down for a bit and said, "I've seen the way you look at him. All the time you spend with each other. Its Eren isn't it? You love him don't you?"

"What?" she stated. Mikasa was absolutely shocked he would attempt to delve into her personal life. "Jean you shouldn't talk about things that don't concern you. You have no idea what you're saying."

"I don't?" he opposed, "Then tell me why, why are you choosing to join the Scouting Legion?"

"I…" she started to say. Uncomfortable seconds passed by as Jean waited for her answer. Finally she said, "I don't have to tell you anything." With that she got up to leave.

Jean attempted to stop her, calling, "Mikasa wait." She turned around and spoke in a low voice, "Jean if I were you, I would walk away."

Undeterred, Jean told her blankly, "I'm not letting you to join them."

"You're going to stop me?" she asked dangerously, "Why do you care what I do in the first place?"

"I care because I love you!"

In an instant, Mikasa's state of mind went from anger to utter astonishment. Jean continued on, "I've wanted to tell you how I've felt for the longest, but I guess you could say I've been something of a coward. Yet all of that is beside the point. I love you Mikasa, and I don't want you to follow Eren into the Survey Corps."

Still too shocked to speak much, she managed to say, "I'm sorry Jean, but I'm joining anyway." Turning around to leave for a third time, she heard him muttering to himself, "If that bastard gets you killed, I swear…"

That made Mikasa snap. Whipping around toward his direction she yelled, "If it weren't for that bastard, I wouldn't be standing here!" Some of those standing nearby immediately stop their conversation. Mikasa noticed them looking in their direction, and calmed down. After a few moments, the others resumed their chatting, leaving them be.

Not knowing why she would tell him her story, she began to speak to Jean about her past.

"When I was nine, both of my parents were killed by human traffickers. They then attempted to take me away with the intention of selling me to work as a sex slave." Upon listening, Jean's eyes widened with horror and rage.

"I was so scared and empty, seeing my parents murdered in front of my eyes." she continued. "Afterwards they took me and headed for the city, stopping along the way at an abandoned storage. That's where Eren was able to find me. He killed those men and risked his own life to rescue me. Ever since that day, Eren's family welcomed me in their home and made me feel alive again."

Looking up at Jean's face, she could see his eyes showing regret. Again she spoke, "So you see Jean, yes, Eren is important to me. If it weren't for him, I would probably be in some man's basement being raped by all of his friends, if I were still alive to this point."

"Mikasa, I…I'm sor-" Jean started, but Mikasa didn't let him finish and said, "Save it for someone who cares."

Tired of seeing his face, Mikasa finally left him to be with her friends. Feeling like a complete jackass, Jean sat back down at the table, thinking to himself 'I don't think she'll ever forgive me for this.'

Elsewhere in the room, Connie jumped on a table and started to sing.

"Come on everybody! Let's kick this party off right!" he shouted.

As he continued to sing, his fellow soldiers began to join in; until a figure walked in the room they were all familiar with. Unfortunately for Connie, his back was turned and couldn't see who was behind him.

"That's a lovely voice you have there, Springer."

Recognizing the voice, Connie began to sweat bullets. "Instructor Shadis!" he squeaked, "Yeah, I was just showing the crowd a little spirit hehe!"

"Relax." Shadis stated, "I'm not going to snatch you off that table by your head, unless you want me to for old time's sake."

"That's okay Sir, I'm good." Connie said with a hesitant laugh. The other soldiers around him tried their best to suppress their giggles. Shadis smiled and asked, "Tell me, have you seen Yeager around?"

Shaking his head, Connie responded, "I haven't seen him since earlier. Armin might know where he is."

"Hmmm, thanks I'll go ask him." Shadis reasoned. "One more thing before I go, I think you should work a little on your pitch."

"Thanks Sir, will do." said Connie, face turning red from the snickering around him.

Smiling, Shadis walked over to Armin and the others. Upon seeing him, Armin saluted and spoke, "It's good to see you Sir." The others also saluted, but Shadis waved them off and said, "At ease everyone; I'm no longer your instructor. I congratulate you all on your success as graduates and a special congrats to you Ackerman, on your number one ranking."

Mikasa smiled and said, "Thank you Sir."

Shadis nodded. Looking around a bit he asked them, "Have any of you seen Yeager, I wanted to talk to him concerning the Survey Corps."

Armin and Mikasa looked at each other questioningly, before Armin replied, "He left a little while ago to get some rest for tomorrow's duties."

"Ah" Shadis stated, "Always persistent when it comes to his work. I can respect that, but he needs to learn to relax a little as well."

"Sir I could deliver your message to Eren." Armin volunteered.

"Actually" Shadis began, "it also involves you as well, since you're also joining the Regiment."

Mina jumped in and said, "I'm joining to sir! So is Mikasa."

Shadis looked astonished. "I'm impressed. It would have been a record for only one soldier within the top ten to join the Scouts, but two is almost unbelievable. What about you Klein?"

Ruth met her former instructor's gaze and said, "I believe I will Sir. I want to protect my friends and fellow soldiers from harm's way."

He nodded and said, "That is a worthy reason to join. I hope all of you have reasons like that because when you come face to face with a titan, you'll need to think outside of your own fears just to move."

The group listened intently to Shadis' words, each contemplating if they had what it took to fight the titans. Armin spoke up saying, "I understand Sir that you were once the commander of the Survey Corps. Tell us honestly. Eren believes the titans can be slain one by one, but what are our actual chances of doing that?"

Shadis surveyed Armin's eyes and answered, "The titans' strength is definitely their numbers. If it were possible to cut them down efficiently, it would be possible however, not many soldiers have what it takes to bring down more than two titans on their own. Of course I haven't even mentioned the aberrant titans. I've seen some who can move with incredible speed, and others with double the strength of your average one. Finally you have the two unknown titans involved on the attack in Shiganshina. These titans had what it took to penetrate the wall."

Pausing, Shadis smiled and told them, "I have faith in this new generation. The attack on Wall Maria was the first one inside the walls in a hundred years. It inspired many to finally take the threat seriously, and I'm looking at the results before me."

Turning around to leave, he stated, "As for my message to Eren, I simply wanted to tell him to not be overcome with emotion. He won't win every battle he fights, but the important thing is to win the war. I offer all of you that same advice."

"Sir" Mina called as he started to leave, "Why don't you stay for a little bit and celebrate with us."

All conversation in the room seemed to come to a halt as everyone heard Mina's request to Shadis. One fellow soldier whispered into Armin's ear saying, "Hey control your girl, is she trying to ruin the whole party?" Mina heard it, and she threw a death glare in their direction, causing both to shrink away in terror.

Shadis laughed saying, "Oh that's quite alright, but thanks for the invitation. It may be the first one I ever received come to think of it."

"Are you sure Sir?" Mina asked again, causing everyone to bite their fingernails hoping he declines.

"Yes. Unfortunately I'll be riding back to the academy tonight in preparation for my next squad." said Shadis. Raising his voice to address the room, he spoke, "Everyone I congratulate you once more on your achievements."

"Thank you Sir!" They replied in unison…

The sun finally began to set on the day, as the first stars appeared in the evening sky. Reddish-orange light poured through the window, giving illumination to two figures, intertwined on bed sheets of fine linen.

Annie closed her eyes and moaned in passion as Eren picked up his pace in making love to her. She now knew he was tenacious in everything he did.

"Annie" Eren said panting, "You're so beautiful."

Opening her eyes, she found him staring at her, sweat rolling down his smiling face. She couldn't tear herself away from his hypnotic eyes, wishing this moment would not end. She then realized his thrusts were beginning to decrease in speed.

"No, don't stop." she whined.

"Annie…" he said in an almost reluctant tone. Again looking into his eyes, she instantly read what was on his mind.

"It's okay Eren." she comforted, "You can release inside me." She wanted to please him completely, knowing this would be her last moments with him. She was not going to withhold her body from him.

"Annie what if…" he started to say, but she held a finger to his lips.

"It's alright" she told him again.

Annie brought her hands around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss to encourage him. She then wrapped her legs around his waist and arched her back into his thrusts. Eren began to lose all his other senses from the amount of pleasure he felt.

Breaking the kiss, Eren grabbed the back edge of the bed to gain leverage, and pushed his driving force to its limit. Annie screamed as she climaxed, her fluids lubricating his member. Eren felt the strength of her orgasm, her inner muscles clenching around him even tighter. In one final thrust, he burst inside her, pouring his essence into her womb.

They both laid there for a while, he still inside her, trying to catch their breath. Eren then grabbed a fist full of the bed sheets with his left hand, and wrapped his right arm under her. Skillfully, he rolled over onto his back, covering the both of them with the sheets, allowing her to rest on his chest.

Annie laid her head in the crook of his neck, bringing her right hand to his chest, watching it go up and down with the pace of his breathing. Looking up at the roof, deep in thought, Eren smiled and said, "You're stunning with your hair down Annie."

She smiled and replied, "In my village, it's a dishonor for a woman to wear her hair down in public. That sight is reserved only for the one she marries. Though, I wanted let my hair down for you Eren."

She felt him wrap his arms around her protectively and run his fingers through her hair as he said, "Thank you."

She wondered how much time she had left with him before the others started to come to their rooms from the party. Then something interesting caught her eye. "What's this for?" Annie said, touching the key Eren kept around his neck. "It's the only 'article of clothing' you kept on the entire time."

"Oh that?" he acknowledge and laughed, "It's the key that unlocks the door to my father's basement back home. It's the only thing I have left that belonged to my parents. I guess I'm really conscious about losing it."

"Your parents died in that attack in Shiganshina?" Annie said in sadness.

"My mom did." he answered, pain etched in his voice, "As for my father, he wasn't in the city when it took place. However, no one has seen him since that day. I still hold out hope that he's out there, but if he was alive, it's hard to understand why he hasn't found Mikasa and me yet."

He asked her, "What about your father Annie? You came from the same village as Reiner and Bertolt right, just south of Wall Maria? Is your father still…"

"Yes, he's alive." she said, "We were among the few who were able to escape."

Eren smiled and said, "That's wonderful news. I'd like to meet him one day."

She replied, "You know, he always wanted to have a son. I think he would have rather had someone like you than me."

Kissing her head, he comforted her and said, "I don't think that's true. From what you told me, he seems like a hard man, but I imagine he loves you very much."

"Yes, I know that you fool." Annie stated casually. She remembered the last words her father spoke to her before she left.

*****_"Annie, I will always be on your side!"_*****

Exhaling, she attempted to switch the subject back on him and said, "So, tell me a little about your father, you rarely spoke about him during our training sessions."

Thinking for a second, he said, "Well, many consider him to be the best doctor within the three walls. He was even offered a home within the interior, to work close to the king, but he turned it down in favor of living next to those who needed attention."

Annie nodded saying, "I see. Is it safe to say he inspired you?"

"Yeah, he is definitely my hero." Eren answered, "He taught me to value everyone's lives, no matter how insignificant they may be to the world."

Annie gently nudged her head against his neck. She might able to kick his butt in a fight, but there was no question in her mind, he was stronger than her in every way. Continuing on he voiced, "Along with being a great doctor, he was also something of a scientist as well. I don't know much about his research, but one time I heard him talking to my mother concerning his study on the titan's ability to regenerate. He said that kind of ability could go a long way for humanity in terms of healing from serious wounds or sicknesses."

"Wow." she stated impressed.

"Yeah, perhaps one day I'll return home and recover his research. My house was destroyed when the Colossal Titan broke through, but the basement should still be intact. That's where my dad did most of his work."

Upon hearing his dreams of returning home and restoring his father's research to help humanity, Annie could feel herself being seized with guilt. It must have had some outward effect because Eren asked her, "Annie, are you ok? You're shivering."

"I'm fine." she answered, "It's just the thought that this is our last day together, it's making me sad. I don't want it to end." In her heart she told him the truth, but he had no idea what she fully meant.

"Annie?"

"Yeah"

"Would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

Annie's eyes widened and she stayed motionless in his arms. Eren continued, "I don't want this to be our last time together either. I promise you, the titans will be defeated one day and completely wiped out. When that happens, I want to return to you, and build a family. We can have a son who inherits your smarts, and a daughter who inherits my stubborn sense of morality."

"Eren, stop." she whispered.

His eyes traveled downward toward the top of her head and he told her, "Annie, I love you. There isn't anyone else I desire to be with. You don't have to worry about me out there on the battlefield. I promise, I'll return to you."

Annie slid off his chest and removed the bed sheets from over them. She sat over the edge of the bed, with her back turned to him. Eren kicked himself for not stopping when she asked him to. He believed in his abilities, but he could sense her fear over his well being.

"Annie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" He began. Moving over to her, he began to caress her shoulders, kissing her neck.

"You know, you shouldn't make promises you can't keep." he heard her say.

Smiling he replied, "Yeah, I guess your right."

Cupping her cheek, she turned to face him once more, and shared in a passionate kiss. After breaking away, he said, "I better get going, before anyone sees me walking out of your room." She reluctantly nodded, and he got up to put on his clothes.

Looking at him intently, she knew from that point on, she would never be the same. Even if she was successful in her mission, and became a warrior, she would never be able to live with herself again. Yet this was his night, his last one on earth. Maybe she could find some measure of comfort knowing the man she loved spent his last night in utmost peace.

Sitting at the foot of the bed tying his shoes, Eren heard her call to him.

"Yeager" she said.

He smiled at the usage of his family name. "Yes Miss Leonhart." he teased turning toward her. That's when he noticed she was crying. Rushing to her side he told her, "You don't have to cry Annie. I won't die easily to the titans. I-"

Cutting him off she said, "I accept your promise."

He stared at her in silence, and she continued, "I'll wait for you within the interior, and when you return, I want to become your wife. I want us to have a son and daughter who inherit our best qualities. I want us to live outside these walls in true freedom."

"Annie!" he cried, grasping her in his arms. Tears rolling down his face, he pledged to her, "I promise I will return!"…

Eren unlatched the door and opened it, seeing the last of the daylight disappearing beneath the horizon. Annie stood next to him in her night gown, holding his hand. He turned to her, and gave her one last kiss.

"Have a good night Annie." he said.

She smiled and nodded.

Annie watched him leave toward his dorm, and closed the door once he left her line of sight. Turning around, she looked back toward her bed. The room still carried both their scents. She looked at the bed sheet and saw the stains of their sexual fluids, but she also saw a blood stain.

They took each other's virginity, but inside she knew she wasn't so innocent. Taking up the sheet and clenching it close to heart, tears began to flow freely from her eyes. Dropping to her knees, she began to sob uncontrollably.

"Goodbye Eren." she cried, "I'm so sorry!"


	4. A Taste for Blood

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

*****_text_*** **\- indicates a flashback and/or dream sequence

… - indicates a change of pace and/or a change of scenery

**Author's notes:** Like I mentioned in the summary for this story, there will be plenty of spoilers throughout. In this particular chapter, I will introduce my own twist to the spoilers. So not everything mentioned here is actually within the manga/anime itself. It's just me filling in some of the blanks.

**Chapter 4: A Taste for Blood**

*****_"Eren, forgive me for not being there to protect you all. Your mother died because of me." Grisha stated with tears in his eyes._

_Taking out a key from his pocket and tying it to a string, he placed it around Eren's neck and said, "Eren listen to me. Right now you wouldn't understand everything if I were to tell you, but its better that way. You have the will to change things."_

_Eren looked at his father with a puzzled expression. Grisha then took out a syringe from his bag and took hold of Eren's arm. Even though he was the son of a doctor, Eren always had a fear of needles and taking his shots. With panic in his voice he asked, "Dad, what's that for?"_

_Grisha didn't answer his question directly, pulling up Eren's sleeve. "This is our custom, and I've failed to change things." he said._

"_Dad, what are saying? Let go of my arm!" Eren cried._

"_Hold still Eren!" Grisha shouted, causing Eren to stop moving for fear. "They are coming to destroy what's left of humanity, so use this power to stop them!"_

_Grisha inserted the syringe in his arm, releasing it's content into Eren's bloodstream. "Make it back to the basement Eren, you will find all your answers there."_

"_Dad…" Eren begun, but all of a sudden he felt his body growing hot. "D…dad I…I can't breathe!"_

_Grisha closed his eyes, full of tears, silently saying, "Forgive me Eren!"_

"_Dad… da…gggggrrrrrRRRRRAAAAAAAA"_*****

"AAAHHH!"

Breathing heavily, Eren observed his surroundings and noticed he was in his room. "It was a dream." he said to himself, wiping the sweat on his forehead.

Getting up out of bed, he went to the window and noticed it was still a little early before sunrise. Grasping the key around his neck, he held it up and wondered what his dream was about. Was it just a dream, or something more?

…

At morning, the former 104th gathered in the courtyard to wait for instruction. Standing in formation, Eren began mulling over his dream once more, the bits he could remember.

'What could it mean?' he thought. 'If it wasn't just a dream, how exactly did I come by dad's key?'

Taking hold of his key once more and studying the string it was tied to, he remarked at how similar it looked compared to the one in his dream. Looking up to his right, he saw Annie standing a few rows over glancing at him. As their eyes met, she averted her attention away, a subtle blush appearing on her cheeks.

Smiling, Eren knew her introverted nature enough that she wanted to keep their relationship secret for now. He would let her tell everyone when she was ready.

Upon seeing their superior officer walk before them, Eren tucked the key back on the inside of his shirt and stood at attention.

"Good morning soldiers of the 104th Squad." he addressed, "I'm Captain Kitts Woerman. Until you officially join one of the three branches, you will be placed under my command. As a captain within the Garrison Unit, I imagine most of you will be joining us anyway so I'm going to prep you all on the basic work we do here."

After going over the particulars, Woerman broke the 104th into groups and assigned them different tasks. "That will be all, gather your gear and get to work." Kitts authorized.

…

Atop the wall looking over Trost, Eren was busily cleaning out one of the canons used for the city's defense. Connie was off to the side, checking the stability of another.

"Well, at least we won't be stuck doing these boring tasks after today eh Eren." Connie laughed.

"Yeah" he replied. "Though I imagine many will think I'm crazy for wanting to fight titans instead."

"Hey, I guess that's just something they will have to think of us!"

Eren stopped and turned towards Connie in confusion. "What do you mean by 'us'? Aren't you going into the MP?" he asked. Connie exhaled and said, "No, I'm going to join the Survey Corps."

Shocked at what he just heard, he almost dropped his sponge and rammer. He sputtered, "But Connie, I thought you were excited to be heading toward the interior."

Mina walked up behind them and stated with glee, "It looks like you convinced him to change his mind Eren."

At this, Connie scoffed and said, "Yeah right. What, a man can't simply change his mind when he feels like it?" They both laughed at Connie's defensive state.

"Come on Connie." said Thomas, walking up to join them, "It's alright to be honest."

Along with seeing Thomas, guilt moved up to Eren as he remembered what he told him a day ago.

"Thomas" Eren said, "I want to apologize for what I said the other day. I had no right to demean you like I did."

Thomas shook his head and said, "No Eren, you were right in what you said. In fact just like Connie, I too am joining the Survey Corps. We're brothers in arms, and I want to fight by your side."

"Thomas!" Eren said beaming with pride.

Mina butted in and told Thomas, "That's brothers 'and' sisters in arms."

They all laughed and nodded. Still cleaning his cannon, Soldier Samuel Linke-Jackson remarked to them, "Hey, brothers and sisters in arms, don't mind me but I think we better get back to work before we are caught goofing off. By the way, where is Sasha? She was supposed to be back with that fresh polish a while ago."

"Did someone call me?" a merry voice bellowed.

Everyone turned to see Sasha jogging toward them. Mina asked her, "Sasha where have you been, and what is that you're hiding in your jacket?"

Flashing a devilish grin, Sasha revealed the item she was concealing. "Guys, I was able to sneak into our officer's lounge and steal a few thick slices of freshly cooked ham!"

"What!" Everyone screeched in unison.

"Sasha what are you thinking?" Eren scolded, "We can get into some serious trouble if they find that here."

"Yeah, and let's not forget that meat is becoming a royalty with the loss of territory five years ago." Connie added.

She smiled and waved them off stating, "Don't worry about it guys, they won't find out we took it. Besides, the territory we lost will not be gone for long. In fact, we are going to take back the whole world, right Eren?"

Stunned, Eren asked, "You mean you're joining the Scouting Regiment to Sasha?"

"Well, I can't let all that good meat on the outside get away can I? I'm a hunter after all." Sasha answered.

All of a sudden, Samuel's stomach began to growl. Looking around to see if they were being watched, he said, "Ah forget it. Sasha, give me some of that ham!" She nodded and said, "Now that's more like it. Come on everyone, I got enough for all of us!"

They quickly gathered around to take up a slice, but Eren moved toward the edge of the wall to get a look at the territory lost to the titan attack five years ago. Sasha looked up and called to him, "Hey Eren, aren't you hungry?"

Eren smiling to himself, he uttered, "Yes, yes I am." Balling his hand into a fist, he turned back to look at the group and addressed them with pride.

"Everyone, this time we are ready for them, the titans. Five years ago they took us by surprise, but now they lost that advantage. We will take back what rightfully belong to us!"

"Right!" they smiled and cheered.

Without warning, a flash of light came out of nowhere, and a large shadow enveloped them.

Eren noticed their eyes went from him and then were cast upward. "E…Eren" Mina stuttered.

As soon as Eren turned around, the wall shook violently, producing a shockwave that knocked the group off the wall and sending them free-falling toward the ground. 'What was that?' Eren thought.

Quickly regaining his bearings, he shot two grappling hooks from his 3DMG, planting them in the wall and stopping his descent. The others reacted and shot their hooks into the wall, but Samuel continued to fall, being knocked unconscious from the initial force.

"SAMUEL!" Eren called, trying to wake him.

Thinking quickly, Sasha retracted her hooks. Using all of her strength and speed, she began to scale down the wall. Once she got in range, she fired a single hook into Samuel's leg and another toward the wall, managing to stop their fall.

"I know it hurts, but try not to move too much!" Sasha yelled to Samuel, seeing him regain consciousness.

"Nice work Sasha." Eren called. Looking back up toward the top of the wall, he saw giant steaming red fingers grasping the edge. 'It's him!' he thought angrily.

"Look, the wall!" Thomas cried pointing at the wall's entrance.

Everyone turned and saw a gaping hole. "Oh no, the titans will be able to come through!" shouted Connie.

Thoughts of his hometown entered Eren's mind. How the titans entered and began eating everyone. How his mother was killed by a titan that had such a sinister grin on its face. That smile, it was almost as if it was mocking his pain.

"Not this time." Eren said to himself. Not wasting another second, he propelled himself up the wall. "Eren wait!" he heard Thomas call, but he already made it back near the top, eyeing down the one who started the siege on Shiganshina.

As he landed and drew his blades, his opponent's eyes moved in his direction. However, Eren was not intimidated in the least.

"You're not getting away this time, Colossal Titan!"

Rushing toward his target, Eren noticed the Colossal bringing its arm back in a motion to swat him off the wall. Quickly, Eren jumped toward him and fired a hook into its massive shoulder, just in time to avoid the blow.

Swinging around to the Colossal's side, he got a good look at the destruction left in the wake of his strike. All the canons were wiped off the wall. 'Was he aiming for them from the beginning?' Eren pondered. 'If that's the case, then it's not by accident. This titan has intellect!'

Turning toward Eren, the Colossal reached out for him.

"Oh no you don't!" Eren said gritting his teeth. Firing a hook into his large hand, Eren swung beneath and around the wrist, landing on top of the Colossal's arm.

"If I get rid of you, your kind will lose an incredible advantage in breaking through the walls!"

Eren charged up the arm, heading toward its weak point at the nape of the neck. The Colossal moved its shoulder in an attempt to shake him off, but Eren fired a hook and launched himself toward the back of the neck.

Firing a second into the neck, Eren reeled himself in and prepared to strike with his blades. "This is for the lives you've taken!" he yelled.

Coming within inches of slicing through his target point, a huge jet of steam and air pressure shot out of the Colossal's body, forcing Eren away from him. He struggled to keep his hook attached to its neck.

Able to find the trigger on his gear, he burned as much fuel as he could to reel himself back in to finish the job.

"DIE!"

Eren made a clean swipe with his swords, hitting nothing but air.

"What the…" he started to say, but he began to fall toward the ground. Firing a hook into the wall, he regained his footing alongside it. Taking a moment to gather his surroundings, Eren realized the Colossal Titan managed to escape his attack.

"Eren!" he heard someone call from the top of the wall. Looking up, he saw Thomas. "Eren are you alright?" he called out again.

"Yeah I'm good, but the Colossal Titan vanished out of thin air. I couldn't bring him down." Eren voiced.

"Forget about that." Thomas said, "The others have already headed back to HQ to let them know what happened here. If something isn't done about the hole in the entrance, the titans will come through. So let's go."

Eren nodded and said, "I'm right behind you."

…

All throughout the city, the ringing of tower bells could be heard. Citizens were packed along the streets as they began to evacuate.

"Everyone make haste but remain calm!" a Garrison officer yelled over the crowd of people.

Off in the distance, sounds of explosions could be heard near the outer gate. The 1st Division Elite Force steadily kept the titans at bay as they began to enter through the opening created by the Colossal Titan.

"Ready, FIRE!"

The shot hit an 8 meter titan squarely in the chest, exploding on impact. It fell to the ground, but took no serious damage as it began to regenerate.

The captain turned to his squad and bellowed, "Continue firing towards the entrance to keep them huddled up! If they break through, we won't be able make it back in one piece."

"**Mmmrrruuggh"** groaned a titan as it took a direct hit.

…

Later that morning, Captain Kitts Woerman broke the 104th into teams of 6 and addressed them on their duties.

"We've received reports from our scouts that a large group of titans have stormed through the hole at the entrance." he said, fear clearly in his throat. "The 1st Division Elite Force has been completely wiped out, and the titans are now moving into the city."

The captain's fear was spreading throughout the group of newly inducted soldiers. Some visibly started shaking.

"I've assigned each group a section of the city to defend. You'll receive your locations from our officers in the main hall. Your mission is to assure all citizens within Trost are evacuated. Once they are safe, we will signal for you to retreat over the wall of the inner gate. Those are your orders. Fuel up and be prepared to risk your lives for the sake of the people."

Everyone scrambled to equip their maneuver gear and fill their tanks. After Eren finished fueling his, he went over to check on Armin.

"Armin, you ready to fight?" asked Eren.

Armin's eyes were steady on the nozzle of the fuel tank as he pumped gas into his 3DMG. "Yeah." he responded, "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

Eren could feel the nervousness in his friend's voice. Interestingly enough, he and Armin were assigned to the same group. "Hey Armin, we'll be alright and so will everyone else." he told him, "The evacuations have been going on for a while now, so we shouldn't have to hold the titans off for long. We can do this!"

Armin smiled and gave Eren a reassuring look.

"Alright" Eren said, "I'll meet you outside when you're done. I'll go and check on everyone else."

Watching Eren run toward the courtyard, Armin couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to them. Looking back down toward the fuel pump and gear, his hands began to shake, making it a little difficult to continue filling it.

Outside, Eren quickly searched the area for the rest of his group and friends. 'Mikasa, Annie, where is everyone?' he mused. Unfortunately due to not looking in the direction he was walking, he ran into someone who also wasn't looking where he was going.

"I'm sorry about that, I…"

Before Eren could finish, he noticed the one he ran into was none other than Jean.

"Oh great, it's you." Jean spat, "I'm sure you're thrilled about this turn of events. Damn titans. If only they could have waited a day, I would already be heading toward the interior. Now I'm just going to die pointlessly along with everyone else."

Eren was becoming irritated with his pessimistic outlook. "Listen Jean, no one is going to die. All we have to do is hold them off long enough for the evacuation to complete."

"There you go again with your feigned confidence." Jean returned, "Didn't you hear Woerman? The first response team was wiped out. We are about to meet that same fate! Of course I'm sure that doesn't bother you in the least."

With anger overtaking him, Eren grabbed Jean by his uniform and pinned him to the wall. "We were trained for this!" he yelled, "I hate what happened to the 1st Division Elite, but we also have to factor in the military outside of the Survey Corps are still too lax in terms of preparation in fighting titans. As far as I'm concerned, the 104th right now are the best group to handle this assault."

Eren loosened his grip and said, "Just do your job. You'll still have your opportunity to join the Military Police afterwards. If you're really angry, then take it out on the titans."

Before Jean could respond, he noticed Mikasa a short distance away looking at them. He suddenly remembered their conversation the other night and knew she was probably still mad at him. Cursing under his breath, Jean shook Eren off and began walking toward his assigned group in preparation to leave.

Mikasa came over to Eren and asked, "Are you alright?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Eren" she stated, "I'm a little worried about all this."

He looked a little confused and said, "Mikasa you're our best soldier, you have more than enough ability to hold your own."

"Not so much about myself." she said, "yet I'm worried for everyone else, and you. Don't do anything crazy out there." Eren looked the other way and said, "Stop worrying Mikasa. All of us will be fine."

Sensing that he didn't fully understand her plea, she continued, "Eren listen to me. If the worst should happen, don't be a hero. Even if you have to abandon the mission or…"

"What?" Eren asked, astonished at the suggestion. Mikasa stopped, fearing that would be his response. "I'm not going to abandon the mission or my comrades Mikasa!"

"Ackerman" they heard someone call.

Turning to the side they saw a veteran soldier of the Garrison, Ian Dietrich. "Captain Woerman just assigned you to the rear guard." he told Mikasa, "Follow me."

"Wait a minute Sir." she began to protest, "I'm a recently graduated cadet. Shouldn't I be among the rest of my class in the middle guard? I don't want to slow the experienced guys down."

Ian shook his head and said, "This isn't up for debate. Let's go."

As he started to walk away, Mikasa again tried to complain against this decision, but Eren stopped her. "Hey!" he said, grabbing her by the shoulders. "There's no time for arguing. You've been assigned your post so move along!"

She sighed and reluctantly gave in. Yet before Eren walked off toward his own group, she grabbed his sleeve and said, "Eren, I'll do my task but just promise me one thing. Promise me you'll stay alive."

Upon gazing in her heartfelt eyes, Eren nodded and said, "I will, and I'm sorry for yelling at you."

…

"This place looks like a ghost town all of a sudden." remarked Thomas.

While waiting for their orders, Eren's group, consisting of Armin Arlet, Mina Carolina, Thomas Wagner, Nac Tius, and Mylius Zeramuski, watched for any movement of the titans from the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

"Yeah" Nac stated, "It looks pretty scary. Hopefully the evacuations are almost complete so we can get out of here ourselves."

Mina turned toward Armin, seeing him looking off in the distance toward the smoke rising near the outer gate. "Armin." she said, catching his attention.

"Yeah Mina?" he smiled at her.

"Are you worried? I was there with Eren when the Colossal appeared, and I'll be the first to admit he was pretty intimidating to behold." she said, "However, we all survived that encounter, and Eren even stood his ground against him."

Eren chimed in and said, "Yeah, it's just unfortunate he was able to get away. I almost had him."

Armin chuckled at his friend, "Nothing scares you Eren."

Mina reached into her coat pocket. "Armin" she said, "I made this for you."

She pulled out a small bracelet made of smooth pebbles and handed it to him. "The pebbles came from the same stream I went fishing in on our survival exercise." Mina elaborated. "I finished it last night, so it's not my best work. Originally I was going to give it to you once we joined the Survey Corps, but I want you to have it now, as a reminder of your success of that mission. I hope you like it."

Armin shook his head, looking over the fine piece. "No, I love it. Thanks Mina. I only wish I had something to give you in return."

Mina gave a big grin and said, "Oh, I can think of something you can give me in return."

Oblivious, Armin asked, "What's that?" Without warning, Mina wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his.

Several blushes appeared across the group's faces at the sight. Nac commented, "Get a room." Mina pulled away and looked in his direction. Smiling she said, "Ah, there's no need to be jealous. Perhaps one day you will learn to be as romantic as Armin, and have a girl fall for you."

Everyone laughed as Armin and Nac blushed with embarrassment for differing reasons.

At that point, an interesting idea crossed Eren's mind. "Hey Armin, speaking of that survival exercise how about you lead us in this mission?"

"What" Armin stated in surprise.

"Yeah" Eren encouraged, "The biggest reason we were able to save Krista was due to your planning. I feel we will also have a good chance in succeeding today with your guidance. What do the rest you guys say?"

"I'm for it." Thomas remarked, "I could be your second in command."

"I'm down as well." Nac smirked, "What about you Mylius?"

"Suits me just fine, after all, he is the brains of the 104th." he answered.

Eren smiled and turned back toward Armin. "So what do you say buddy? This could be our chance to gain recognition before entering the Survey Corps."

He looked at Eren and then toward Mina, still wrapped around him. He nodded and placed the bracelet around his wrist. "Definitely, I won't fail you guys."

Over on another rooftop, an officer of the Garrison called to them, "Squad 34, a group of titans have broken through the frontlines, you're up!"

Eren clenched his fist and said, "Alright its game time. Armin?"

Armin nodded. Letting go of Mina and addressing his group, "It's time everyone. I'll take the lead to direct from the front. Thomas, you take the rear and warn us if any titans come from behind. Let's head out!"

Drawing their blades, they took off in the direction toward the break in the front lines. Armin could see quite a few titans moving inward toward their section within the middle guard. "It looks like there are more titans than I expected." he mused, "I think it's safe to say not many of them were taken out by the Garrison teams."

"Argh" Eren fumed, "The military should have been more organized for an attack. It's almost as if there was no preparation since Shiganshina."

"I wouldn't go that far" Armin stated, "At least they were better with evacuations. So far there have been no civilian casualties." Eren silently nodded.

"Alright this is what we will do." Armin addressed to the group, "Looking at the number of titans, the natural instinct would be to fight and take out as many as we can one-on-one. Yet I believe the best thing we can do is fight together against one titan at a time, four of us to distract it, and two of us to strike its weak point. We will stand a better chance that way."

"Right!" they shouted as one.

Armin looked toward his right and said, "We'll start with the 15 meter class titan over the-"

Stopping his sentence, he caught a glimpse of a titan to his left, crouched on a rooftop ready to pounce at them. "AN ABNORMAL TITAN TO OUR LEFT, PULL BACK!" Armin commanded.

The 10 meter titan lunged toward them with unbelievable range and speed. They used their propulsion gear to narrowly escape around its reach, landing safely on a nearby rooftop.

"That was a close one." Armin breathed, "I almost didn't catch it in time. Is everyone alright?" Upon looking around, he saw the group's eyes were fixed on the titan that attacked them, now clinging onto a clock tower. Turning to find out what had them gazing, Armin was horrified to see what was in the titan's mouth. "THOMAS!" he cried.

Thomas' legs were crushed firmly between the titan's teeth, while his upper half hung from his mouth. "G-g-guy-s." he stuttered, clearly in shock. Before the group could react, the titan held its head back and swallowed Thomas whole.

Their breath was taken away from them at the sight. The titan then jumped down on the ground, and began to walk away.

As he watched it leaving, Eren's anger began welling inside him. His friend, Thomas, taken away from them right before their very eyes, and the titan walked away as if it were nothing.

*****_"Thomas" Eren said, "I want to apologize for what I said the other day. I had no right to demean you like I did."_

_Thomas shook his head and said, "No Eren, you were right in what you said. In fact just like Connie, I too am joining the Survey Corps. We're brothers in arms, and I want to fight by your side."_

"_Thomas!" Eren said beaming with pride._*****

"Damn you." Eren said under his breath. Armin turned toward his friend with a worried expression.

"Eren" he called to him

"DAMN YOU TITANS TO HELL!" Eren shouted, taking off after it with unbridled fury.

"Eren wait! We have to stick together!" Armin yelled, but Eren was already too far gone. Turning toward the rest he said, "This is my fault, I didn't see that abnormal titan quick enough."

Mina calmed him down and said, "It's not your fault Armin. Yet right now we have to go after Eren before he gets himself killed."

"You're right." Armin agreed, "Let's go." The four of them took off after Eren. Armin thought to himself this was exactly what Shadis warned them about. Not letting their emotions take over. 'Eren don't die!'

Exploding forward from rooftop to rooftop and jetting through the air, Eren quickly closed the gap between him and Thomas' killer. "You think you can just kill my friend and not account for it?" he seethed, "BASTARD I'LL END YOU!"

With his target in range, Eren reeled his blades back for the critical strike toward the neck. Unexpectedly, a smaller titan appearing from below, jumped and bit off Eren's left leg to his kneecap. The force sent him flipping in the air, landing violently on a nearby rooftop.

"EREN!" cried Armin. He and the others exhausted extra fuel to reach Eren before a titan could get to his motionless form when suddenly, a huge hand swatted at the group, hitting Nac, killing him instantly.

Armin looked back in horror, realizing he lost all vision as to where the titans were around them. The three of them landed next to Eren, but before Mina could unhook her wire from her maneuver gear, a 3 meter class titan grabbed it, pulling her down to street level.

"Oh no, a titan has Mina!" said Mylius upon hearing her scream for help. Turning around, Armin froze at the sight of her in the hands of the titan.

Mylius looked back at Armin and said, "Come on, we have to help her."

"I…I…" Armin stammered out, but failed to speak.

"Help, it's squeezing me! I can't breathe!" Mina forced out as the titan's clutches became tighter around her.

Seeing Armin continuing to stand in place, Mylius jumped and launched himself toward the titan. It noticed his advance. Taking one hand off around Mina, it swiped at him, missing as Mylius propelled himself to the left. Taking another swat at him, he managed to evade and circle around. "Now's my chance!" he believed.

Before he could sink his hook into the titan's neck, Mylius felt something strong grab his leg. He failed to notice another 3-6 meter class got behind him, and now he was caught. "Ah, let go of me!" he yelled in anger. Taking his blades, he stabbed at the titan's hand, but the effort was futile. Using its other hand, the titan wrapped his fist around Mylius' upper body, silencing his screams as it ripped him in two.

Mina watched helplessly, seeing Mylius' blood splatter everywhere. With tears in her eyes, she turned back to Armin on the roof. "Armin!" she cried.

His eyes never left her. 'Move, why can't I move?' he berated himself. 'She needs me, so why, why won't my legs move!'

The titan holding Mina once again put its focus on her, bringing both its hands around her and began to clench. "Urgh" Mina coughed up blood, no longer being able to draw in enough air to speak. Bringing her up to eye level, the titan opened its mouth, inching her close enough to bite down. With all the strength she could muster, she turned toward Armin and mouthed the words 'I love you'.

He watched as the titan bit Mina's head off her body.

Losing the strength in his legs, he fell to his knees and dropped his swords, which tumbled toward the ground. Looking at his hands, he spoke to a semi-conscious Eren laying several inches away from him.

"I…I'm a coward." he said, "I led all of you to your deaths, and I did nothing. Eren, I let her…"

Continuing to gain his senses, a bloodied Eren heard loud footsteps coming closer to their position. "A…Ar-min" he said, coming out closer to a whisper, "You have…to go."

Eren struggled to lift his head up, and saw Armin with a spaced out look on his face. "Armin" he said a little louder, trying to catch his attention. To his dismay, a giant bearded face appeared in front of Armin.

Still dazed, Armin was picked up by his uniform jacket, and dangled just above the titan's mouth. Suddenly realizing his predicament, Armin began to scream as he was dropped onto its tongue and began to slide down its throat.

Hearing his friend's cry, Eren's mind kicked into overdrive. Quickly he force himself up on his hands and right leg, then fired two hooks into the face of the creature, reeling himself in toward its mouth. Jamming his sword into the upper row of teeth and keeping its mouth open with his leg; Eren reached and caught Armin's hand just before he was swallowed.

"Eren!" Armin stated in surprise.

"I'm not going to let you die Armin."

Gritting his teeth, Eren pulled Armin up and slung him out of the titan's mouth, back onto the rooftop. Armin looked back on his friend, surprised he still had the strength to move.

"Eren you…"

"Listen Armin" Eren began, using all his strength to open the titan's jaw further. "We promised each other we would explore the world beyond these walls."

Eren reached his hand out toward him, blood flowing down his face like tears.

"Eren" Armin uttered, remembering their dream as kids to see what the world was like on the outside. They wanted to see the large bodies of water called the "seas", and climb over peaks that was said to reach the clouds.

"Armin, we're still going right? One day."

Finding new resolve to carry on, Armin got up and reached for Eren's hand to pull him out. "Right" Armin stated clasping onto his arm, "We will travel the world one day!"

Eren smiled as Armin began to pull him out when instantly, the strength of the titan's jaws snapped Eren's blade and clamped shut, swallowing him whole.

Armin fell backward on the roof. Looking down at his right hand, he saw Eren's arm still clasped around his own. Holding it up and watching the blood drip down from the end, he finally broke down.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

…

"Huh, you heard that? It sounded like a scream." Marco asked his squad mate Hannah Diamant. Traveling around the city with their gear, they were off to find any surviving squads from the breach in the Middle Guard.

"Yeah" she said pointing toward a large titan in the distance, "It certainly came from over there."

"Right, someone is in danger. We have to hurry!" he responded. Not sparing a second thought, they blasted off toward the one in peril.

…

"Eren! No!" Armin yelled. Throwing away Eren's arm, Armin doubled over and began banging his head against the roof. "No, this isn't real! Wake up, wake up Armin!"

The bearded titan took notice, and began to reach out once more for him. Armin looked up, cuts and bruises all over his face, and yelled out, "WAKE UP!"

As the titan clenched for his prey, a streaking figure tackled Armin to the side in a narrow escape.

"Come on Armin, we have to go!" The figure told him. Looking up, he saw Marco staring at him with a worried expression.

Off to the side, the sound of maneuver gear hovered around the titan's head. Marco turned and yelled, "Forget about downing that titan Hannah! We can't afford any more casualties." She nodded and swung off in their direction.

"Armin" Marco asked, "Can you move on your own?"

"Ye…yeah" he answered, voice full of despondency.

Fearing to ask what happened to his squad, Marco nodded and said, "Then we can't waste anymore time here. I'm sure everyone is running low on fuel, so it's best if we regroup at HQ if it's still standing. Let's go."

Marco and Hannah took off, while Armin took one last look at the surrounding titans that killed his squad. With tears in his eyes, he took off behind them.

…

Within center section of the rear guard, a lone 8-14 meter class stumbled back and forth down the street as if drunk. It suddenly stopped and scratched its head, appearing to be in deep thought. Holding up one finger in "ah ha!" fashion, it then fell face first to the ground and started to disintegrate.

Standing on the back of its crumbling form was Mikasa, a certain calm gracing her face.

Firing her hooking cables to tops of the surrounding buildings, she reeled herself in to rejoin her superior officers.

"Great work Mikasa" said Ian, "That's your 11th kill today. You are certainly a credit to your regiment, and a valuable soldier to the military."

"Thank you Sir." she responded. Her gaze traveled toward the direction of the middle guard, fearing for her comrades' safety.

Ian studied her features thinking 'She most certainly is no ordinary soldier. Even for a number one ranking, her skills are clearly once in a generation.' With a smile crossing his face, he thought 'If I were a few years younger, I'd ask her to marry me.'

"Sir?" Mikasa asked him as she turned to meet his eyes.

"No I wasn't staring! I mean uh…ahem, yes, what is it?" he asked in embarrassment.

Turning again toward the area of the middle guard she asked, "Why was I specially assigned to protect the rear guard with the elites?"

"Ah, you're worried about your friends." Ian assumed, "Yes, I asked that question myself. It wasn't until I saw your skills today that I finally got the answer. With the Colossal Titan showing up, many of our elites and captains feared the Armored Titan wouldn't be far behind. If he were to break through the inner gate, it wouldn't be long after that the titans would be knocking on the doorstep of Wall Sina."

Walking near the roof's edge, Ian got a view of the city and continued, "I believe they felt like you could possibly take on the Armored Titan. To be quite honest, I believe you are the strongest fighter we have."

Her eyebrows rose at this suggestion and simply stated, "I see."

Laughing, Ian told her, "I wouldn't worry too much about your friends, especially if they have even a measure of your ability. However, I will admit the evacuation should have been done by now."

"AN ABNORMAL HAS BROKEN THROUGH THE RIGHT SECTION OF THE REAR GUARD! IT'S HEADING TOWARD THE LAST GROUP OF CIVILIANS CAUGHT JUST OUTSIDE THE INNER GATE!"

Upon hearing the shout, Ian told his team to move.

Running at a steady pace, a large 15 meter titan turned a corner leading directly to the inner gate. With a line of people in sight, it began to move forward.

"It's heading for us!" shouted some in the crowd. A merchant with a large shipment of supplies struggled to get them through the narrow gate, blocking the path for everyone else to get through. "Come on, move your merchandise, or else we are going die."

The trader turned toward the crowd and shouted, "Good riddance then! These goods are worth more than all of you combined. So do me a favor and distract that titan."

Turning back to his employees, he urged them to hurry and push his large cart of goods through the gate.

Gaining speed, the 15 meter was seconds away from being right on top of them. However, members of the military caught up with the beast from behind.

Mikasa, beating her seniors to the punch, enclosed on the nape, making a precision cut to bring it down for the count. Landing back on the ground, she released her blades from their mechanical hilt, seeing they have become dull after her 12th kill.

Looking over toward the host of civilians, she went over to them with a question on her mind.

"Why are there so many of you still not evacuated to the other side?" Mikasa asked a woman.

Pointing toward the gate she answered, "There's a dealer blocking the entrance with his wagon. It appears too large to fit through."

Looking ahead toward the gate, Mikasa made her way to the merchant. Addressing him she spoke, "You have to move your wagon Sir. Time is of the essence to complete the evacuation."

"I'm not moving anything." he said, "What you need to do is address everyone to help me get my goods on the other side of this gate. Once that is accomplished, everyone can move along."

Becoming irritated, Mikasa spoke again saying, "Sir, soldiers are laying down their lives fighting the titans, to give the people of Trost time to escape. Your cart is holding up the process, and more lives will be lost if you don't move it."

"Good for them." he replied arrogantly, "It's about time those lazy bastards actually did their job instead of living an easy life on tax payers' money. Now I suggest you do your job, and help me get my goods through the gate!"

Having heard enough, Mikasa walked over toward the wagon. The merchant smirked, thinking he convinced her to help him. Instead, Mikasa connected two fresh blades from her maneuver gear, and slashed at the ropes holding down the boxes of goods on the wagon. She made another strike to one of the crates, causing fresh fruits to fall to the ground.

"Just what the hell are you doing!" the merchant shouted. Some of the poorer among the civilians rushed in to take up the fallen fruit for themselves.

Mikasa turned toward him and said, "I am doing what you asked of me. I'm helping you get your goods to the other side. Though, they may also be in these good people's stomachs as well."

Raising her blade to make another strike, the merchant cried for her to stop. Turning back to him she stated, "You have two choices. Either you move this wagon to the side and let the people through, or I will destroy it and let them take what they want as they go through. Either way, they will get through."

"You insolent wench, I have connections with your superiors within the Garrison. I'll make sure they hear of your actions and are punished." he spat.

Mikasa slowly walked over to him and lifted her blade to his neck. "That's strange" she said, "I didn't know a corpse could talk."

Shrinking away in fear for his life he ordered his workers to move the cart off to the side, in saying to Mikasa, "I…I'm sorry, I misspoke. I'll move the cart right away!"

As the cart was being moved, Ian caught up with Mikasa. Before she could explain her actions, he held up a hand and said, "It's alright. You did the right thing. I'm very proud of you for having the guts to take a stand for the people."

Just as he finished talking, a small girl with her mother behind her came up to Mikasa.

"Thank you big sis!" the girl said glowing at her, "You're my hero!"

She then gave Mikasa an apple that came from the wagon, causing her to smile. The woman took her daughter into her arms, bowed in respect and headed for the now open gate.

With the last of the residents of Trost evacuated, the Garrison rung the overhead bells, signaling for those on the battlefield to retreat over the walls of the inner gate. Having new resolve, Mikasa handed the apple to Ian, and began moving toward the city.

"Hey wait Ackerman, where are you going?" Ian called.

She turned and said, "I'm going to help my fellow soldiers."

"They can hear the bells. There's no need for you to go to them as they will be heading this way. Besides, you're still assigned to the rear guard. There's a chance the Armored Titan could appear."

Looking down at her blades, she said, "I'm sorry Sir. I just have to know if they are alright. I can't stand by waiting. There are those I care about deeply, that I must protect."

Sighing, Ian took a bite out of the apple and told her, "Alright then. I'll just tell the commander that I lost sight of you during a struggle with the titans. Try to hurry back, or else we'll be in a lot of trouble if the Armored Titan shows up and I have to fight it."

She smiled and replied, "Thank you Sir."

Nodding his approval, Mikasa took off toward the middle guard.

…

Gathered on the rooftops of a titan-less segment of the city were the remaining survivors of the former 104th regiment. All having a look of despair on their faces at the horrors they've witnessed.

Jean looked off in the distance toward the inner gate, hearing the retreat signal. "So, the evacuation is finally complete. Ah, I guess it's our luck that it doesn't matter now, not having enough fuel to make it to the wall."

Marco came up beside his friend and patted him on the shoulder. "I hear you." he said, "I wonder what happened to the refueling squad?"

"Isn't it obvious Marco? By now the titans have overtaken HQ. I wouldn't be surprise if everyone there ran for the hills."

Connie joined in and exclaimed, "If that's the case, why don't we head toward HQ and refuel ourselves? If there is no one there, the titans would have gone past it and thus headquarters should be empty of enemy presence."

Jean heaved a sigh and stated, "In theory that sounds good, but that would only be the case for normal titans. For some reason this bunch that entered the city have many aberrant types. We simply can't predict their behavior." Both Marco and Connie also exhaled at this realization.

Over a short distance away, Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie were looking at the wake of destruction the titans caused. Annie was set on fulfilling her mission at all cost, but for some reason, Reiner was stalling. The more he stalled, the more her thoughts traveled toward Eren.

"Reiner" she finally spoke, "What are you waiting on; let's finish what we came to do?"

He shook his head and said, "Not yet. Let them continue to pour into the city before the inner gate is taken out. That way you'll have a full army to direct toward the interior."

She scowled at his suggestion, knowing he was just caught up playing soldier. Turning, Annie over heard Hannah asking Tom a question about one of their fellow soldiers.

"Tom wasn't Franz in your group? Where is he?" Hannah asked, anxious to hear he is okay.

He grimaced and said, "I'm sorry to tell you this Hannah, but he died trying to save our friends. We left his body near the cathedral a few blocks from here as we retreated."

"No" she said, on the verge of tears. "You're lying. He can't be…"

"I'm sorry, but it's true Hannah." Tom continued, "I know you love him, but he's gone. There was nothing we could do when the titans grabbed him. He-"

Before he could finish, Hannah took off toward the cathedral. "Wait Hannah, it's not safe to go out there!" Tom called, but it was too late.

Annie felt guilt pierce through her heart, once again thinking on her own lover. Just by watching Armin's horrified face earlier when he arrived, she knew something happened to Eren. Yet she couldn't bring herself to ask him. It was better not to know, or at least not to have confirmation.

After 15 minutes passed, the 104th heard the sound of maneuver gear heading in their direction. They assumed it was Hannah returning to them, but instead it turned out to be someone else.

"Mikasa!" Connie yelled out. Catching her attention, she turned toward them and landed. Her comrades huddled together to greet their best soldier.

Jean also got up and moved toward her. "Mikasa what are you doing here, aren't you supposed to be in the rear guard?" he asked. Jean was happy that at least she would be able to escape from the city, but now here she was with the rest of them.

Ignoring him, she looked around for Eren. Spotting Annie, she moved toward her, knowing her and Eren were close and might know where he was.

"Annie" she called.

Annie turned toward her with a questioning gaze.

Mikasa spoke, "I know we've had our differences in the past, but that doesn't matter right now. Tell me, have you seen Eren around?"

Jean clenched his fists, knowing it was because of Eren she had come here to risk her life.

Turning away, Annie told her, "I haven't seen anyone among his group arrive to this point."

"What are you talking about Annie?" Reiner joined in, "You forgot Armin was in his group? He's over there Mikasa."

Looking over to see Armin sitting against the wall of a taller builder, she replied, "Thanks."

Annie knew Mikasa would ask Armin about Eren's whereabouts, and now she would hear the details of how he died. Closing her eyes, she silently cursed Reiner for getting her involved with Eren that day during training, so long ago.

Armin sat off to the side by himself, holding the bracelet Mina made him. All he could think about was her pained expressions before she died, and how he couldn't move to save her.

"Armin"

Looking up toward the voice, he saw Mikasa staring at him with concern. 'Oh no' he thought. 'Mikasa will never forgive me for letting Eren die.' Armin turned away from her, tears starting to form in his eyes.

Mikasa, now extremely worried, began to ask, "Armin, what's wrong?" She received no response, as Armin continued to hide his face from her.

By now, many of the 104th gathered closer to the two, also wanting to know what happened to Armin's crew. Jean knew given Eren's pedigree, he most likely got himself killed. Eren wasn't one who hesitated when a challenge presented itself to him.

"Armin" Mikasa tried again, some hesitancy in her voice, "Armin its okay. Please, look at me. T-tell me, what happened. Where is Erern?"

Armin finally met Mikasa's gaze, and his look terrified her. He then spoke saying, "Team members of Squad 34: Thomas Wagner, Nac Tius, Mylius Zeramuski, Mina Carolina, and Eren Yeager, all gave their lives to protect the citizens of Trost. They fought valiantly and their memory will be forever etched in my heart."

Mikasa stood speechless, trying to comprehend everything she heard. The rest of the 104th had similar reactions.

Krista silently shed tears as Connie comforted her. Ymir looked off toward the distance. She always had a silent respect for Yeager, knowing he could be just as feisty as her.

Sasha dropped to her knees in disbelief, hearing her friends she spent so much time with were now gone forever.

Annie remained composed on the outside, but on the inside she wept for Mina and Eren, two of the few who saw her as more than another individual.

"So, even Eren fell to these monsters." Jean muttered to himself. "I tried to tell him we can't win against them, but in the end, he now knows it."

Mikasa heard him and she bit her lip. 'I hate you with every fiber of my being Jean' she thought angrily. Armin saw her angered expression and said, "Mikasa I'm sorry. I led them to their deaths and I couldn't do anything about it. I've should have died as well, I'm such a coward!"

"Armin, you have to compose yourself." She stated to him calmly.

Looking into her eyes, he noticed her appearance changed from a second ago. "Mikasa?" he questioned.

"Come on" she said, helping him to his feet. "We have to make it over the wall of the inner gate."

Turning around, she began walking over to Marco. "I assume everyone here is low on fuel, am I correct?" Marco nodded.

Turning to address the group she spoke.

"Listen up everyone. We will use what fuel we have left to make it to HQ. There, we can resupply and finally head toward the inner gate."

"Wait a minute Mikasa." Jean responded, "We don't know how many titans there are blocking our path. Who's to say we can even make it?"

She shot Jean an intense glare, causing him to catch his breath. "Perhaps you are frightened, but I can take out any titan blocking our path." Walking toward the edge of the building, she turned and spoke to them again.

"All of you are weak. You've fought and had to abandon your comrades because you couldn't kill the titans. Yet I am strong. I will kill each and every titan we come across, and no one else has to die."

Drawing her blades, she jumped off the roof and began toward HQ.

They stood there for a minute, wondering if they should follow her, or simply wait out their demise. Jean then chuckled and said to himself, "I blame all this on you Yeager, but I'll be damned if I let her fight alone." Drawing his own blades, he jumped off after her.

Marco smiled and yelled to them, "Well, what are we waiting for, an invitation? Let's go after them. We have a winning chance with Mikasa on our side."

"That's right!" Sasha piped up, "Come on you bunch of wimps. We are the 104th, let's kick some ass!"

The group roared a battle cry, and they began taking off one by one. Reiner smiled, taking off saying, "This should be interesting."

Annie gave a questioning look to Bertolt. He shrugged his shoulders and followed Reiner. Sighing, she also followed.

Traveling among the others, Armin sped up a little to keep pace with Mikasa. One after another, Mikasa meticulously cut down each titan that fell in their path. The others watched in awe as she went along with ease.

"Wow" Connie exclaimed, "She wasn't kidding about being strong enough to take on the titans. She is single handedly taking them out, even the aberrant types, and doing it with such speed."

Armin observed Mikasa's maneuver gear as she went, and noticed something was off. "Oh no, she's using too much fuel." he said. "At this rate, she'll run out before reaching headquarters."

"What" Jean stated, worry evident on his face.

"Yeah" Armin replied, "I thought it was weird how she remained composed after hearing Eren's death. It was just a mask. She's trying to be strong for everyone, but in reality she's recklessly killing every titan in sight. Once her fuel runs dry, she will be a sitting duck."

As if on queue, the propulsion in Mikasa's gear disappeared, and she began to fall toward street level.

"Mikasa!" Armin screamed. He quickly turned to search where she fell. Jean also started to turn, but Connie stopped him and said, "Jean, you lead the others to HQ. I'll go after Mikasa and Armin."

"But"

"There's no time to argue Jean, just do it!"

With that, Connie went after them. Gritting his teeth, Jean yelled to the others to follow him and pushed on toward HQ.

…

Having no more fuel to propel herself through the air, Mikasa hung from her cable hooks, her body a few inches away from the ground. Realizing her situation, she detached her blades and cables, dropping to the ground.

With all her adrenaline and emotion gone, all she could feel was deep sadness. 'Why do everyone I love always get taken away from me? Haven't I suffered enough?' she thought. In that moment, a light rain began to shower down. It was cloudy all day, but only now did heaven allow its dew to fall.

Looking up toward the sky, she couldn't tell if she were crying or if it were simply raindrops running down her face. She silently acknowledged this was a cruel world.

**BOOM…BOOM…BOOM…BOOM!**

Mikasa turned her attention toward the noise, and saw a 15 meter titan staring directly at her. Continuing its approach, Mikasa bowed her head and closed her eyes. "Eren" she said, "I will be joining you soon."

The titan stood before her, and reached down to pick her up. It was almost as if it could sense her willingness to be eaten.

'FIGHT!'

Her eyes snapped open just in time to see the gigantic hand a couple of feet in front of her face. Jumping away from the titans' hand as it clenched it; Mikasa felt a new surge of energy flow through her body. "What is this feeling?" She asked herself.

The titan looked at her as if it was agitated by the sudden movement, and this time lunged for her. With a running start, she leapt out of the way, allowing it to impact the wall to her side.

"Why am I running? What else is there to live for?" she kept asking herself. Suddenly her memories flashed before her eyes, and she saw Eren fighting off the kidnappers who killed her parents.

*****_"You have to fight! The only way to live is to FIGHT!"_*****

"Eren" Mikasa whispered

The titan pulled himself from the indentation it made in the wall, and stood up once more. She backed away, only to hear another set of large footsteps behind her. Looking back, she saw another 15 meter titan.

Attaching another set of blades from her gear, she stated out loud, "I'm sorry Eren. You taught me how to live and I almost trounced your memory by giving up. This is a cruel world, and yet, you made it so beautiful."

Both titans began to zero in on her location. "I'll fight to the very end!" she cried, charging toward the titan in front of her. Just as she took off, the titan behind her also charged in. With a powerful planted step into the ground that lifted Mikasa in the air, this titan threw it's upper body weight into a heavy blow to the head of the other titan, causing it to fly a couple of kilometers into the distance.

"What was that?" Mikasa questioned, regaining her composure and looking at the path of damaged buildings before her. Looking back up, she saw the titan that was behind her, looking ahead to where the other one fell, ignoring her completely. Seeing this titan with flowing brown hair and determined green eyes, she felt a great sense of comfort in his presence.

Off in the distance, another titan appeared from behind the rubble, turning its attention to the one who caused it.

"**GGGRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"**

Mikasa covered her ears at the piercing roar from the titan beside her. With that, it began to run toward the other titan.

"Mikasa!"

She turned upward to see Armin and Connie swinging down toward her. Armin scooped her up, and the three landed on a nearby rooftop.

"Are you alright?" Armin asked her, relieved to see she's still alive.

"I'm fine, thanks to that titan." she said, pointing a finger toward the two titans having a standoff with each other.

"Huh?" Connie and Armin echoed one another.

The two titans began roaring at each other, before the one that saved Mikasa got into a fighting stance, raising its arms to chest level and clenching its fists.

"That stance" Mikasa remarked, "I can't place my finger on it but I feel like I've seen it before."

"Are you kidding me?" Connie said, "A titan preparing to do hand-to-hand combat is beyond belief. I thought they were mindless freaks. Even the abnormals don't have that much coordination."

Armin silently agreed as they continued to watch the anomaly.

The regular titan rushed in head first, attacking in blind rage. With neck breaking speed, the strange titan stepped up and swung a fierce right kick to the head. It connected, knocking its head clean off the body and flying several kilometers before crashing into a clock tower in the distance.

The body of the normal titan fell. While its head started to regenerate, the strange titan walked over, and crushed the nape of the neck, finishing his opponent off for good. He did the same with the other he sent flying moments ago.

"**RRRRRROOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!"** it bellowed in victory.

The three soldiers watching from afar were stunned. Armin suggested, "It knows the weak point as well."

"Yeah" Mikasa responded.

"Well guys, I think it's best if we get going." Connie interrupted their thoughts, "Who knows if that titan won't turn around and attack us? Besides, we have to catch up with the others at HQ before our fuel run out."

Turning to go, Armin called out to him and said, "Wait, remember Mikasa is already out."

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Connie exclaimed, slapping his forehead.

Wasting no time, Armin took out Mikasa's fuel tanks, and switched them with his own. "There" he said, "That should be enough to get you to headquarters."

"Wait a minute Armin, what about you?" Connie asked.

Armin avoided eye contact with them and said, "Don't worry about me guys. I'll only slow everyone down. Leave me to my fate here."

Hooking a blade from his gear and turning it around toward himself, he said, "After you two leave, I'll end my suffering. I guess I prefer it this way than to be eaten."

"Armin" Connie gasped.

Mikasa walked over to Armin, and touched his hand, grasping the blade. She then took it from him and threw it toward the street below.

"Mikasa why?" Armin questioned, but then he realized something. With eyes cast down he said, "I understand. I deserve to die the same way they did. You're right."

She shook her head and told him, "Armin, you're not going to die and I refuse to leave you. Eren lives on in us, as well as all our comrades who died fighting today. Ask yourself, would Mina want you to die here?"

Looking up at her, fresh tears threatened to fall from his face, but he wiped them away. Mikasa smiled and said, "Come on Armin, let's go."

Without warning, Connie picked up Armin and threw him over his shoulder. "Alright, Mikasa you lead the way. You're better than me should we have to face any titans along the way. We'll need your hands to be free to fight."

Nodding, Mikasa lead the way as the three started running toward the edge of the roof. Armin had no choice but to be unceremoniously carried. Looking back, he saw the strange titan still roaring, and suddenly he thought of something crazy.

"Wait a minute guys, stop for a second!" he shouted, almost causing Connie to stumble off the edge of the roof.

"Hey what's the deal Armin, we can't waste anymore time!" Connie berated.

"I understand." answered Armin, "Just put me down for a second and let me explain."

Connie did as instructed, and he waited for Armin to tell them what's on his mind.

"Listen guys, I know this is going to sound crazy." he began, "However, I think we might be able to use that titan to our advantage."

Connie was taken aback. "What! Have you gone off the deep end!" he expressed. If he had much hair, he would be pulling it out right now. Mikasa looked at Armin to see if he did hit his head or suffering from trauma. She noticed there were bruises and scratches on his forehead.

Sensing her apprehension, Armin spoke up saying, "I'm not being delusional here. Mikasa, you said that titan helped you right?" She nodded, so he continued. "There's a chance that even if we were to make it to HQ with the others, over half of us will die before we make it to the safe zone behind the inner gate. Yet if we can get that titan to continue to fight for us, our chances of everyone making it out of here will increase ten fold."

Shaking his head, Connie stated, "I don't know Armin. No doubt he would be a powerful ally, but how do you expect him to even cooperate? It's not like we can walk up to it and ask for help."

"It reacted to my movements when I charged toward the titan that originally attacked me." said Mikasa. Armin nodded and said, "Then that's how we will get it to fight. We'll let it see Mikasa take down a titan, and it should join in and fight those surrounding the area."

Mikasa smiled and Connie knew he had no choice but to follow their plan. After all, it was better to stay around her to increase his chance for survival.

"Alright, let's do it." Armin channeled.

This time Armin piggybacked Connie, and the group began to run toward the strange titan. Mikasa looked around for other titans in the area, and spotted one to her liking. Taking off, she quickly swung toward it and struck its weak point. The strange titan caught eye of the activity, and followed Mikasa's form heading toward another titan. Giving off a loud roar, it began to follow her, running toward a group of titans blocking her path.

"It looks like your plan is working." said Connie. He kept a moderate distance from the action so as not to distract.

Armin nodded; thankful he's done something right today.

…

"Everyone, we're almost there, keep pushing forward!" Jean shouted to his teammates.

A couple of titans noticed their approach, and attempted to swat as many as they could out of the air. They dodged up and under the massive arms, and pressed on.

By now, Jean got a clear look at HQ, and there were quite a few titans swarming the building. 'Well that's just great.' he thought.

"I need help!" someone suddenly called out.

Jean turned and landed on a rooftop. The others followed right next to him, and they saw Tom on the ground. "Hey, what are you doing, get up here now!" Jean yelled.

"I…I can't. I've run out of fuel!" Tom cried.

"What?" Jean spoke. Before he could move a finger, Tom was immediately surrounded by titans, and picked up off the ground.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" he screamed.

Jean stood motionless, but a couple of others jumped out in an attempt to rescue Tom. They were quickly caught by their cables, and stuck in the clutches of other titans. Sasha and Marco started to move to help, but Jean stopped them saying, "Wait!"

Before they knew it, a few more titans zeroed in on their location, and they began to fight over their captive victims. The former soldiers of the 104th watched as their friends were tossed around like rag dolls.

Jean grimaced and said, "We'll use this opportunity to make a break for HQ, while their preoccupied."

"What!" Sasha said, horrified at his suggestion.

"Listen" he stated, "They were already dead as soon as the titans grabbed them. Let's not waste this chance to face minimal resistance. If we stop now, we're all dead. So let's go!"

Making a break for it, Jean took off. The others reluctantly followed. Reiner spared one last glance at the bodies of his teammates being devoured, before moving on. A feeling of pain came across him that he attempted to shake off. Bertolt caught it, and began to wonder about him.

Charging ahead, the group was now only a short distance away from their destination. 'Almost home free' Jean said within himself.

"Jean, watch out!" Sasha screamed.

Jean snapped from his thoughts and saw a titan coming straight at him and made a sudden grab in his direction.

"Damn titans!" he shouted in anger. Adding force through his propulsion, Jean rotated his body, and sliced clean through the titan's wrist with his blades, causing its hand to fall off. Marco swerved around it, and took out the nape.

Looking ahead once more, Jean led the group to the back of HQ, where fewer titans were crawling around the building. "Everyone, brace for impact!" he commanded. Going full speed, Jean burst through the glass window and landed in a large office area. The other crashed through as well, landing safely at around the office.

Ymir stood up and went over to Krista, and saw that she was alright. "It looks like we've made it. Nice going sweetness." she told Jean.

Jean shook off her comment and began looking around the room. That's when he noticed a few soldiers hiding under desks. "Hey, you two." he said, "What happened here? Where was the support team that was supposed to re-fuel us out there and where is Captain Woerman?"

They looked at Jean with fear clearly on their faces. One of them spoke and said, "Captain Woerman left toward the inner gate and once the titans enclosed on our position, all of us barricaded ourselves in."

Jean shook his head in disgust. "He left huh? More like fled. I can't believe that guy. What was all crap he was spewing earlier about laying down our lives for the people?"

Marco walked up to him and said, "We can worry about that later. Right now we need to get to the supply room and refuel our gear."

"That's impossible!" screeched one of the soldiers hiding under the desk. "With it being on the lower level, a bunch of 3 meter class titans breached that room and currently occupy it. That's why the supply team couldn't come out to you guys."

"What? So all of this has been for nothing?" Jean spoke, defeat in voice

A loud crash abruptly filled the office area, sending soldiers scrambling into the hallway. Dust filled the room and as it began to settle, Jean looked up and saw two titans looking directly at him through a large hole in the wall.

Frozen in place, Jean said to himself, "It was foolish Yeager. To think we could beat something so huge."

Resigning himself to his fate, Jean waited for a moment that would not come. In that instance, the two faces he was looking at were replaced by the flash of a gigantic fist knocking them out of the way.

"What the!" Jean stated in shock.

Running toward the hole in the wall, he saw the titans crumpled to the ground off to the side, with the one who struck them standing before him.

Everyone gathered around to see the sight. Above them, Mikasa, Connie and Armin came through the open windows.

"Mikasa, you're alright." Jean ran to her in relief.

"Yeah I'm fine. That titan helped us here." she replied, pointing to the one before them.

"What, you can't be serious?" Jean questioned. The other soldiers were also confused by her words.

Connie shook his head. Letting Armin down he spoke, "No, she's definitely serious. That titan standing before you has officially gone rogue!"

"A rogue titan?" Ymir laughed, "This I got to see."

Everyone turned their attention back outside toward the battle. Three titans moved in and surrounded the strange one, ready to leap and devour it. It readied itself, landing a swift punch to the titan on its left. The titan in front suddenly made an attempt to bite at the Rogue's leg. In an instant, the Rogue Titan hit it with its knee, causing the head of the titan to explode on impact, along with its nape. The third tried to grab him, but the rogue caught his arm and brought it to the ground with a swift kick. The Rogue Titan tore off the other titan's arm and stomped on its nape.

As she continued to watch the battle, Annie's eyes widened.

Reiner asked her, "You saw that?"

"Yeah" she answered. Silently contemplating the situation, she thought 'That titan is using my fighting style.'

The soldiers viewing the battle began to cheer after the Rogue Titan brought down his fourth victim. "Hey Everyone" Armin called to their attention. "I know this is interesting to watch, but we should use this opportunity to re-fuel our gear and retreat behind the inner gate."

Jean turned and said, "We won't be able to do that. Three meter class titans have infiltrated the supply room."

Armin thought for a second saying, "We have to find a way to get rid of them. The titans on the outside have their hands full, so we should be able to get rid of the ones on the inside. I suggest our most skilled soldiers take them out with the little fuel they currently have."

Looking over at a row of muskets on the far wall, Marco declared, "Wait Armin. I might have an idea to get rid of all the titans in the supply room in one go."

"Really" Armin inquired.

Marco nodded and explained, "The supply room has a lift that runs down the center. A bunch of us could be lowered down and serve as a distraction to draw them all in. At the same time a few of us will wait in the shadows, blades drawn. Once the titans are drawn in, those few will make the decisive strike to finish them off."

"That sounds like an excellent plan." commended Armin.

Marco smiled and said, "Just for extra precaution, those of us who are on the lift will use those rifles over there, to blind the eyes of the titans when they come close enough. That should also give an extra advantage for the strike team."

Jean grinned at his friend. "Yep, that sounds like a fool proof plan to me. Nice thinking guys."

The group quickly gathered the firearms along the wall, and loaded them up. Off down the hallway, one soldier was slightly lowered into the supply room to count the number of titans walking about. Pulling her back up, she told them she counted seven.

"Alright, we'll need seven volunteers to take out the titans." Armin addressed.

Mikasa spoke and said, "I elect myself to take out one of the titans."

Ymir chuckled, "Now we can't let you have all the fun Mikasa. I guess I'll also help with the strike force. I'm tired of being in this god forsaken city. The sooner we can leave the better."

Bertolt raised his hand and said, "Put me down as well."

Reiner looked at him and acknowledged, "That's admirable Bert. I'll join you." Turning towards Annie, he teased, "Hey, what about you Annie? You are one of our best fighters here?"

She sucked her teeth at his annoying question and chided, "You think this is a game? Shove off."

Reiner laughed and said, "Annie's in! That makes five, so we only need two more volunteers."

Armin peered around and saw Sasha and Connie standing off to the side. "What about you two?" he suggested, "Both of you were particularly exceptional with maneuver gear in a unique way during training."

Sasha shrunk away saying, "No, not me Armin. I think Jean might be better able for this job than me."

Snickering, Connie coaxed her and said, "Come on Sash, you should be able to do this. Once their eyes are taken out from them, they should be helpless." Armin nodded in agreement. She heaved a sigh and agreed to help.

"Okay" said Marco, "We have twenty rifles in all, so twenty of us will go on the lift. Twenty shots are more than enough to shoot out 14 eyes. Now once we are lowered and have drawn the titans' attention, you guys on the strike team will sneak through the doors leading into the supply room and get into position. Once we fire, that will be your signal to act. The rest of you wait here."

Having their instruction, the two groups moved out. Sasha started biting her nails as the strike team walked down the stairs toward the entrance of the supply room. Noticing her apprehension, Connie tried to comfort her again.

"Don't over think it Sasha. All you have to do is strike its weak point at the nape and it will be over before you know it."

Reiner laughed while examining the sharpness of his blade. "Of course if that doesn't work, you could also stab it at its second weak point in the ass." he teased.

"There's another weak point?" Sasha squeaked! "Thanks for telling me. I must have fallen asleep in class when they went over that."

Connie slapped his face and told her, "He's just playing with you Sash."

"Yeah, because we all know the titans have at least five weak points." Ymir added.

"Five weak points!" Sasha yelled out, bringing her hands to her head in frustration.

Ymir and Reiner snickered at Sasha's anxiety. Once they reached the entranced, Mikasa signaled for them to be quiet. Peeking in, she saw the titans walking around aimlessly. Turning back to the group she whispered, "We'll wait here until the lift is brought down and the titans are distracted. Sasha, simply focus on cutting through the nape."

Sasha nodded and Mikasa turned back toward the room, waiting for the opportunity for them to sneak in.

Up above, the lift began to lower down the center of the room, loaded down with soldiers holding rifles. Once they reached about halfway down, Marco called for the lift to stop. The noise caught the titans' attention.

Slowly, they began to walk towards them. Mikasa and the others silently entered the room, and swung up towards the beams. They each landed on one directly behind their targeted titan.

As the titan's continued to move toward the dangling lift, some of the soldiers started getting apprehensive. "Hold your positions everyone." Marco ordered, "Let them get a little closer. We only got one shot each and I doubt we are best marksmen in the world."

Jean smiled in agreement with his friend. As the titans moved closer toward the light pouring from the opening at the top, Armin noticed the titan coming directly toward him was the same titan that killed Mina.

A mix of fear and anger rose within him, causing his hands to shake. Jean whispered to him, "Armin steady." He could see Armin's eyes were wide and unfocused.

"Jean" Armin said, "We've lost a lot of love ones to these titans. Before today we were all happy and content. Even though I lost my grandfather years ago to them, I still managed to find happiness in my friends. Yet after today, I once again realize how fleeting life can be with these monsters prowling around."

Jean focused in on the titan he was facing, listening to Armin's words.

"I hate them." Armin continued, feeling anger starting to over take his mind. "I won't let them get away with all those they've taken away from me!"

Armin's eyes zeroed in on Mina's killer left eye. The titans' inched another step closer, completely enclosing the lift.

"Fire!" Marco shouted.

Flashes of light flared out as the soldier fired their guns. Armin shot his titan square in the eye, sending it staggering back as its eye socket began to steam. The others had their eyes taken out, but some soldiers missed their mark. Leaving one titan without injury and Armin's titan avoided having its right eye shot out.

The strike team immediately leapt from their spots, and soared in for the critical blow. Mikasa, Annie, Ymir, Reiner, and Bertolt successfully brought down their targets. Sasha missed her mark at the nape by a few inches, while Connie came in a couple of seconds too late, his titan having both it's eyes, catching notice of him before he had a chance to move in for the kill.

The one eyed titan turned around to see Sasha cowering behind it. "Uh, I'm sorry, did I attack you there hehe?" Sasha quivered. Without warning the titan lunged for her. She leapt out of the way in absolute panic. Yet before the titan could get back up, Mikasa soared in and finished it off. Annie then made light work of Connie's titan, making the supply room accessible again.

"Thanks Annie. Looks like that one got away from me." Connie laughed.

"Don't mention it." she said.

Over to the side, Sasha attempted to hug Mikasa, but she was kept at arm's length. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Mikasa!" she cried.

"Sasha you have to get a grip of yourself." Mikasa urged, "We're still not out of the woods yet." Sasha nodded, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

Looking up, Marco called to the soldiers above to lower the lift to the ground, and for the rest to join them to re-fuel their gear.

So everyone began filling up their tanks, discussing some of the things they've seen as they waited. "You did a good job getting us here." Marco told Jean as he filled his fuel tank. "We wouldn't have made it if it were not for your leadership."

Jean frowned and said, "Stop it Marco. The only thing I did was run. The rest of you simply followed."

"That's not true. If it weren't for you, we all might have died fighting to save a couple of us who were caught by the titans. It must have been difficult to make that decision, but the safety of the group was on your shoulders and you made the right choice."

A sad smile crossed Jean's face. "So tell me Marco, what you think about all this?" he asked. Marco gave him a puzzled look, so he continued, "About fighting the titans? You told me you were thinking about joining the Survey Corps. Now that you know what you're up against, are you still considering joining?"

"The titans are certainly imposing." Marco began. Tightening the nozzle on his fuel tank as he finished filling it, he looked at Jean and continued, "To answer your question, I'm leaning toward joining more than ever. I think today showed us that it's only a matter of time before all the walls are broken through. I suppose humanity can no longer relax like we did the last 100 years."

Jean laughed and replied, "Yeah, but it sucks the end of the world had to happen in our lifetime."

"I hear you." Marco grinned. After standing up he spoke, "Eren wanted to fight them, encouraging everyone to stand up for their freedom. I want to honor his memory, and fight in his place."

Jean finished filling his gear and turned toward the Marco. "I respect that Marco. I think looking back on our training days I was a little rough on Eren's dreams. Yet he never went back on his word, and he was certainly a braver soul than me. It takes a lot of courage to fight the titans but Marco, try not to die out there will ya."

Marco smiled and said, "I'll try."

Once everyone finished filling their gear, they headed back to the office and out the opening that was made earlier by the titans. Armin addressed them saying, "Alright everyone, once we head out toward the inner gate, make sure to take a route where there is not much titan activity. Avoid them at all cost as we are in full retreat."

They nodded in agreement, and began to head out. Mikasa however moved further up to another point around headquarters. She stopped a short distance up, and stared toward the east.

"Mikasa" Armin called, "We need to keep up with the others, let's go."

She remained still. "Mikasa!" Armin called again.

"The titan who helped us is in trouble." was all she stated in response.

Armin gave her a thoughtful look but before he could respond, more of his teammates moved up to take a look for themselves, so he decided to follow. What they saw stunned them. The Rogue Titan was surrounded by several other titans, and they were currently eating him. Finished with eating away his arms, they began feasting on his legs and upper body. It helplessly roared in seeming pain.

Jean remarked, "Well that's a heck of a way to go. To be eaten by your own kind. Oh well, we better get out of here while their distracted."

As he begun to move away, he noticed his companions still watching the sight. "Come on guys." he said, "Even though it gave us a break, its still a titan at the end of the day. No one can predict the actions of an abnormal, but every titan is potentially a danger to us."

"I think we should help it." Mikasa stated, almost causing Jean to stumble forward.

"What, absolutely not Mikasa!" Jean contended. "Why risk our lives for a titan of all creatures? No, that's not happening."

Before Mikasa could argue, Annie interrupted and said, "I agree with Mikasa."

"Annie" Mikasa turned to her surprised.

Reiner stepped up as well saying, "That titan could prove to be a powerful weapon. We saw what it did a while ago, so he's useful. Besides that, perhaps we could learn something from him"

Shaking his head, Jean told them, "You're all crazy. This doesn't make sense."

"You stay here." asserted Annie, "The three of us are more than capable of handling those titans around it."

Suddenly, another titan came walking toward the feast. Recognizing it, Armin spoke and said, "That's the same abnormal that ate Thomas!"

The Rogue Titan caught a glimpse of the newcomer, and it began to roar with incredible rage. Escaping the hold of the titans around it, it surged toward Thomas' killer and sunk its teeth into the neck.

The other titans ran to attack, but were knocked back into the buildings as the Rogue Titan hit them by swinging the body of the incapacitated titan in his mouth. Jumping on each of the titans' napes along the ground, it finally crushed the nape of Thomas' killer, bringing the battle to an end.

"**GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"**

"I guess it didn't need our help after all." Reiner concluded.

Continuing to roar, it finally dropped to its knees and fell head first in exhaustion. "That's weird for a titan, to become tired." Jean spoke, "In any case it doesn't look like he will be useful now. Let's just get out of here and call it a day."

Again Jean turned to move away, and yet again he noticed his teammates were still transfixed on the strange titan. "Hey guys we should really…" Jean started to say, but stopped as he glimpsed at what was happening.

The body of the Rogue Titan began to steam away.

"That's strange." Armin said, "Its nape wasn't harmed so why is it dissipating?"

Just as Armin mentioned it, something started to emerge out of the nape of the Rogue's neck. As the steam began to die down, the group noticed it was the figure of a human that appeared.

"No, it can't be." Armin said. His mind was completely confused at what his eyes were taking in. "Is that, Eren?"

Mikasa immediately jumped down and propelled herself toward him. Once he fully emerged, she embraced him, wondering if he was really there. Fear then etched its way into her as she noticed he was unresponsive. Bringing her head to his chest, she heard the heavenly sound of a heartbeat, and broke down in joy.

"Eren!" she sobbed, tightening her embrace on him even more.

Back on the roof along HQ, the group stood completely dumbfounded at what they were seeing. "What in the world?" Jean managed to say, "Did…did he just…come out of that thing?"

"Well I'll be damned." Reiner smirked.

Annie's eyes were glued open. She couldn't believe this turn of events. Yet even more than that, she was overwhelmed with a feeling she didn't know how to express. "He's…he's alive." she whispered to herself. Bertolt heard it, wondering why she was only focusing on him being alive.

Armin move to swing down next to Mikasa. "Armin!" Jean called out.

Arriving on the scene, Armin first noticed Eren's left arm. The last time he saw it, he was holding it in his hand. However, here Eren was, with his left arm attached to his body, as though it was never cut off. Not only that, but his leg was also attached to his body.

"This is crazy; I thought I saw you being swallowed whole." Armin remarked, touching Eren's hand and feeling its warmth.

Jean swung down to them, still finding it hard to believe Eren just came out of a titan's body. "Guys" he said, "We have to move before more titans come." Looking at Mikasa's weeping form, Jean gently said, "We have to go Mikasa. Come on, I'll carry Eren with us."

Wiping away her tears, she looked at him and said, "That's okay, I can carry him." She didn't want to let him go after just finding out he is alive. Placing him gently over her shoulder, she shot back up toward the rest of the group. Jean and Armin followed.

Not stopping as they passed, Jean yelled to the others, "Come on, we're getting out of here!" Without another word, they took off behind them. Annie's eyes were transfixed on Eren's still form. 'He can change into a titan.' she thought. 'Does that mean he's…?'

…

*****_"Where am I, it's so hot!"_

_Eren's eyes began to adjust to the darkness, with the only light seemingly being produce from the faint glow of the liquid he was standing in. Bringing up his hands to wipe away what he thought was sweat, he noticed his left hand never touched his face. Looking down, he saw his left arm was gone, and his right was covered in blood._

"_Aaaaahhhh!" he screamed._

_Backing away in disbelief, he bumped into something floating in the liquid. Turning around, he picked it up and examined the object closely. To his horror, it was the head of a person. He dropped it in pure panic, beginning to notice all the body parts floating around him._

"_Did I die fighting the titans? I'm in Hell!" he stated, starting to lose control._

"_Help…me."_

"_Is someone there?" Eren called. He started moving closer to the one speaking. When he was close enough, he was able to make out the form of a soldier. Her eyes were dazed as she looked up toward the darkness._

"_Someone, help me. It has me…the titan…" she whispered._

"_The titan" Eren questioned. It was all starting to become clear now. All the body parts floating in this strange liquid, he wasn't dead, he was still alive, inside a titan, yet probably not for long._

"_No" he said, tears starting to form in his eyes. "It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I was ready to fight them, we were all ready!" His thoughts traveled to the promise he and Armin made to see the world. Then he thought about the promise he made to Mikasa. How he told her he would stay alive. Finally how he promised Annie he would return to her and start a family._

"_I've failed them!" he cried._

_The soldier reacted to his cries and called out, "Mom, where are you? It's so hot, I want my mom…" and with that, her form began to sink under the liquid in exhaustion._

"_Mom" Eren said to himself. He remembered how much the titans had taken away from him, how much they have taken away from all their lives._

"_I can't die here." he said, tears of anger flowing out. "You haven't won. I swear I'll kill you all!"_

_Raising his right arm into the air and clenching it into a fist he cried, "You hear me! You haven't defeated me. I'll kill all of you!"_*****

"I'll kill you all."

Mikasa looked down in her arms and saw Eren waking up, a slight grin on his face.

"Aim you rifles at him men, you heard what he said!" Kitts Woerman shouted.

Waking up and gaining his senses, he leaned up on his own and looked around. "I was having another bad dream? Uh, Mikasa, Annie, everyone?" he questioned. Then he noticed the large group of soldiers pointing their rifles at them. "What's going on?"

"You don't remember?" Mikasa asked him. He shook his head no in response.

"Apparently word has spread concerning what you do in your spare time." Jean asserted with a hint of sarcasm.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Eren responded.

Captain Woerman raised his voice again and said, "I want you to stop deliberating among yourselves immediately. You are one false step away from being executed on the spot!"

After making it on the other side of the inner gate, the group discussed what to make of Eren. Yet once word spread concerning his transformation, Armin, Mikasa, Jean, Annie, Bertolt, Reiner, and Eren were surrounded by the Garrison. Woerman ordered he be put under observation. Yet after hearing Eren's comments upon waking up, he's now more frightened than ever.

"Soldier Eren Yeager, we have reason to believe you have a very strange ability, one that could serve to destroy humanity as we know it. I don't know what to make of these reports, but let's here it from your own mouth. Are you a titan or are you human?"

'What, what kind of question is that?' Eren wondered. "I'm sorry Sir; I don't understand what you're saying?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Kitts howled, "Some soldiers from your own former squad said they saw you coming out of the body of a fallen titan. We don't fully comprehend what the titans are, so if you're simply a titan who can disguise himself as a human just to infiltrate our territory from the inside, I swear I won't hesitate to blow you to pieces for the sake of humanity."

Jean laughed and said, "That's funny. The last time I heard you telling us about doing something for the sake of humanity, you were no where to be found. I would say anything you do, is clearly for your own sake."

"How dare you!" Kitts began, but he noticed Mikasa drawing her blades from her gear, and stepping out in front of the group.

"If you attempt to harm Eren, I will make sure none of you survive the experience." she warned.

"Mikasa" Eren called. He then noticed Annie drawing her own blades and moving next to her.

"That goes for me as well." she declared. Mikasa glanced at her, wondering just how close she was to Eren, that she'd fight an army for him. Reiner and the rest of the guys nodded, and protectively surrounded Eren.

Standing up, Eren put his hands on Jean and Reiner's shoulders to get them to relax. He then walked to Mikasa and Annie. "Wait a minute Mikasa, Annie. We shouldn't be fighting each other. We're all on the same team." They looked at Eren and then toward each other, hesitant to drop their guard.

To Woerman's side, Ian Dietrich made his presence known and he argued for them to stand down. "Sir, one of the soldiers standing before you is Mikasa Ackerman. You assigned her to the rear guard due to her abilities. I've personally seen her in action and Sir; her skills are almost on par with Levi's. We can't afford to lose someone as valuable as her here."

Woerman began to relax a little, but his fear of Eren was still very evident. "Soldier Eren Yeager, this is your last chance to answer my question. Are you a titan or are you a human?"

Eren thought long and hard on his answer, knowing his friends won't hesitate to protect him. Their lives were on the line as well. "Make no mistake about it Sir, I'm a human being!"

Ian smiled at his answer, but it quickly turned upside down as he heard Woerman's response.

"You'll just have to forgive me then, that I have a hard time believing you." he said.

Turning upward toward the wall, he raised his hand to give the alert signal. Everyone followed Woerman's gaze, and they saw a cannon aimed directly at them.

Not wasting any time, Mikasa dropped her blades and grabbed Eren. Turning to Annie she said, "We have to go back over the wall!"

As they ran to warn the others as well, Eren's key slipped from under shirt. Looking upon it dangling from his neck, memories of his father began to flash in his mind.

*****_"This is our custom, and I've failed to change things."_*****

'Our custom?'

*****_"They are coming to destroy what's left of humanity, so use this power to stop them!"_*****

'Dad what were you trying to say. What power are you talking about?'

Then it hit him, everything Woerman had been saying. 'So that dream I had about dad. It wasn't just a dream. You did something to me.' he realized. At that moment, flashes of memories came to his mind. Memories of him transforming and bursting out from titan that swallowed him and the subsequent rampage he went on. An instinctive feeling began to take over his mind.

Wrestling away from Mikasa's grip, he took her and Annie's hands, then called for everyone to huddle up.

Woerman brought his hand down to signal to fire. A loud blast went out as the cannon ball rocketed out toward the group. Eren brought his hand to his mouth and bit it, drawing blood. The next thing anyone knew, the upper body of a large skeletal structure with partial muscle mass formed around the group, and the cannon ball struck its outstretched arm, causing an explosion.

"Ugh, it looks like we got them." Woerman stated, holding his arms up as dust kicked up from the explosion.

As it began to settle, a looming figure came into focus. Woerman and the soldiers around him stood petrified as they laid eyes on the large skeletal figure before them.

"The reports are true! He's a monster!" they cried.

Mikasa and the others were protected within the rib cage, each unsure of what action they should take. "Where's Eren?" Mikasa asked. Bertolt looked at Reiner and Annie, to see if they were thinking the same thing.

"Eren!" Jean called.

"Eren where are you?" Armin followed, leaving the rib cage to look around the area.

The eyes in the skeletal structure began to move toward Armin. At that point Eren woke up to find himself firmly attached to the muscle within the back of the neck of the large form. Breaking himself away and out of the neck, he rolled onto the ground.

"There he is." Jean pointed out, as they ran to see if he was alright.

As soon as he left the nape of the neck, his partial titan form began to crumble, creating more dust around them.

Leaning up, Eren looked at his teammates, and with ragged breath he said, "I guess their reason for fearing me wasn't without merit. I am a monster."

"You're not a monster." Mikasa stated, "We don't know what's fully going on but you're still human."

Eren looked at her and smiled saying, "Actually, I may know a little about what's happened to me, but my memory is still hazy. I think my dad may have something to do with this."

Reiner raised his eyebrows. "Your dad?" he asked.

Eren nodded. "Yeah, you see he did some research concerning the titans' ability to regenerate. Of course, I would have never thought he had the knowledge to turn someone into a titan, much of all, his own son."

Thoughtful looks crossed the group's minds before Jean broke the silence and said, "Well this is some weird stuff you got us into Yeager. I'm willing to bet Woerman wants to kill you now more than ever."

"You're right about that." Eren agreed, "That's why I plan on escaping."

The group became alarmed at this. Annie stepped in front of him. Kneeling down she asked, "Where do you plan on going?"

He looked her in the eyes and then to everyone else. He knew if he told them, Mikasa and her would likely follow. 'Of course they would follow me regardless, but I can't let them put their lives in danger for my sake' he thought.

Eren spoke as said, "Listen everyone; I don't want you to put your lives in jeopardy. They only want me, so they should let you all go without a problem."

"I'm definitely not going to let you face this on your own." Mikasa interjected, "I thought I lost you once. There's no way I'm leaving you again."

Reiner chuckled and said, "As for me, I think I'll also tag along. Remember the titans crushed our home as they did yours. The military isn't doing anything about it and I have the feeling following you will do more to fend off the titans than continuing to be here."

"That goes for me to." Annie remarked in a rare soft tone. Eren looked around and saw Bertolt nodding in agreement. Jean looked a bit annoyed, not sure why he was even there. Then he turned to Armin who looked a little worried, but had a hint of confidence as well.

"Wait sec guys." Eren told them, "I think I have another idea that would turn out better for everyone. It's going to require your expertise Armin."

"What, me?" he replied.

"Yeah, I don't want to be at ends with the military. I'm not an enemy to humanity. As you know I always wanted to help free us from the titans and join the Survey Corps. If you can convince Captain Woerman I'm not a threat, there would be no need for me to run away."

Armin peered at him and said, "I can see your point, but what makes you think they will listen to me?"

"I don't know if they will listen." Eren said, "Yet you always had a way with words Armin. I believe you have the best chance of convincing them out of all of us. However in the off chance they don't listen, I'll continue with my first plan in running away."

The dust started to settle and they could hear Woerman calling for those on the wall to reload the cannon. With the vote of confidence from the group, Armin made his way toward Woerman.

Seeing him approach, Woerman ordered, "Stop right there. Take another step and you will be shot." The soldiers aimed their rifles at Armin for emphasis. Stopping, Armin began to address him…

"Sir my name is Armin Arlet, former cadet of the 104th Training Squad. I stand before you in hopes you'll hear me out concerning Soldier Eren Yeager. Earlier on the battlefield, my fellow soldiers and I saw the power he wields in his transformed state. Yet instead of using that power as a threat, he fought off the titans and allowed us all to escape behind the inner gate. If it's true you heard the reports concerning him, then you know he used that power to destroy the titans. He is not our enemy!"

Some of the Garrison looked at each in agreement, and began to lower their weapons. However, Woerman insisted they keep them up. "Don't listen to him!" he yelled, "He's trying to lower your guard to strike at the proper moment."

"That's not true at all Sir." Armin pleaded.

"Is that so?" Woerman countered, "You know what I believe? I believe you all might be titan spies attempting to wipe us all out from the inside! Well I can tell you right now, that is not happening under my watch!"

'I don't believe this.' Armin thought to himself. 'He's completely lost it because of his fear. I don't think he's willing to listen to reason.'

Armin turned to look toward the group. They looked at each other apprehensively, but Eren gave him a nod of assurance. Armin turned back to Woerman with anger, and performed a strong salute.

"My friends and I have dedicated our lives for the people. We've fought the titans and lost many of our loves ones. I'm sorry Sir, but to call us spies or indicate Eren as an enemy is utterly ridiculous and quite frankly absurd!"

Kitts Woerman clenched his teeth at the brashness of Armin's words. Armin continued by saying, "I believe we can use Eren's power for the good of mankind, even to take back Trost. I'm willing to bet my life on the hope that he brings us!"

Woerman became speechless before the young man. Ian moved up to him and said, "Sir I don't think these soldiers are our enemy. What he said made a lot of sense. Perhaps we can use this power to our advantage."

"Shut up this instance!" Woerman shouted. Turning to Armin he declared, "I refuse to fall for your false bravado. I'm ending this right now!"

He raised his hand, giving the signal to prepare for another cannon shot. Eren cursed under his breath, looking at his hand, preparing once again to initiate his transformation.

Unbeknownst to everyone else except Bertolt, Annie brought her hand to her mouth. He thought 'Annie, are you going to…'

Just as Woerman started to give the signal to fire, someone caught his hand from behind. "What the hell…" he began to say but suddenly caught himself as he turned and recognized who stopped him. "Commander Dot Pixis!"

"Now, now, don't you think you're being a little dramatic captain?" Pixis commented.

"Forgive me Sir, but I'm only doing what I have to. The one they are protecting have the power to destroy us all."

Pixis released his arm and reached into his coat pocket. Pulling out a flask, he took a big sip of what could only be assumed to be alcohol from the flushed look on his face.

"I'm well aware of the reports." Pixis said, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Yet if he were going to destroy us, why isn't he doing it right now? You know better than to let fear cloud your judgment when leading others."

Bowing his head in defeat, Woerman said, "Sorry Sir."

Laughing, Pixis walked up to Armin. "Well, well" he said, "Now that's a sincere salute. Would I be mistaken in guessing the man who trained your unit is Keith Shadis?"

Armin looked up at him and smiled, "You wouldn't be Sir."

Nodding Pixis went on to say, "Yes he certainly is a man of character. Never forgetting those he led in the Survey Corps and those who died in the line of duty. So heartbroken over those who died under his command, he vowed never to marry because he felt he didn't deserve a happy life. I can tell looking in your eyes that you have also lost loved ones today."

Armin broke away from his gaze, eyes landing on the bracelet on his wrist. "Yes Sir, I have."

"Hmmm, I can understand your pain." Pixis comforted.

Patting him on the shoulder, he motioned for Armin to follow him. They walked over toward Eren and the rest. Having his attention, Pixis stated to Eren, "You are certainly an interesting case are you not? Tell me, will you use this power to help mankind?"

Eren immediately responded saying, "There's no doubt I will Sir!"

"Good" Pixis affirmed, "I have an idea on how you might be of help right now. I want you two to follow me atop the wall."

"Can I come to Sir?" Mikasa interposed.

Pixis turned to her and smiled. "Certainly, I heard great things about you Soldier Mikasa Ackerman. We will need your skills for this operation." Looking at Jean, Bertolt, Reiner, and Annie he said, "I want the rest of you to go and rest with your squad mates. I will be calling your number soon."

"Sir!" they confirmed. Slowly they started to leave to join the other soldiers. Annie lingered for a second more, wondering if she should ask to come with them on the wall. Eren cupped her hand and reassured her they would be alright. For some reason the look they gave each other bothered Mikasa. 'What is with these two?' she thought to herself, 'and why is she so protective over Eren all of a sudden?'

"Take care of yourself." Annie told Eren.

"I will." he responded. Annie nodded to Mikasa and Armin, before following after the others.

Pixis stood before Eren and said, "It looks like you'll need 3DMG equipment."

Eren looked down at his gear and realized it was slightly damaged. 'Ah, it must be due to being swallowed by that titan earlier' he considered.

"Come on" said Pixis, "We have a few spare sets in storage. You can find one that best suits you for now, and worry about assembling another set specifically tailored to you later. You won't need to use it for battle in this operation."

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin shared looks with one another before following after Pixis.

…

In a town deep within the territory of Wall Maria, the Survey Corps were engaged in a battle, hoping to learn more about their enemy and gain ground.

"Captain, Major Hange and her team are currently tied down facing several titans to the south. Should we send back up?"

Levi directed his horse toward Hange's location. "That's not necessary Petra. I alone should be enough. Tell Eld to hold this position and to look after those who've been injured."

"Yes Sir!" she responded. Levi then took off toward Hange's group.

…

"**MMMMMUUUURRRRGGGHHHHH"**

A titan moved in and cornered Hange between three buildings. Smiling, Hange expressed, "Now, now, how would you like to be one of my latest test subjects? I haven't had much success keeping some of my recent subjects alive for long, but I promise I'll get it right this time!"

The 10 meter titan threw itself at her, narrowly missing her as she jumped and used propulsion from her gear to make her leap that much higher. Shooting her cables into the nearest wall, she swung toward the rooftops.

"Come on, play nice will ya!" she complained.

"**MMMRRRROOOOOHHHHH!"** it roared.

"Alright then, perhaps if I can cut off your limbs and the top of your head, I can find a way to restrain you before you regenerate."

Just as Hange was getting ready to act, a streak of light shining off metal came zooming by behind the titan's neck. The next thing she knew, her would-be test subject fell to the ground and began to disintegrate.

"No no no no no no no no noooo! Levi how could you? That titan potentially held the key to understanding their entire species, things we could only dream of, and you killed it!" Hange screamed.

Ignoring her dramatics, Levi stated, "There will be plenty of time to catch specimens, particularly those of lesser size. Come; let's rejoin the rest of your group. They told me you led a titan off by yourself in an attempt to trap it. One day if you're not careful, you'll end up titan feces."

Breaking out into a grin, she corrected, "Actually titans don't have a digestive system. Once they had their fill of human flesh, they simply regurgitate their innards and start all over again."

"Tch, like I needed to hear that." Levi scowled, wiping off the blood on his blades.

Heading out, the two eventually reached Hange's squad, and they rode together to join Levi's. As soon as they reached them, they saw Erwin Smith waiting for them.

"Hange, Levi" he stated, "Load up, we're heading home."

Their eyes widened at his order. "Sir" Levi spoke, "Our men are still strong. We can go on further into Maria territory."

Erwin nodded and said, "I know, but a messenger from Trost have reached us and the city is under attack. Another breach was made, similar to what happened five years ago. So prepare, we're heading out immediately."

"Yes Sir" Hange and Levi saluted.

…

Having a full view from atop the inner gate of Wall Rose, Eren looked out upon the city of Trost. He could see the figures of titans moving along the streets, looking for their next meal.

Off to his side, Armin, along with Pixis and three others were strategizing the Garrison's next move. Mikasa vaguely followed, before noticing Eren's distant gaze out over the wall. She walked over and joined him.

"It's hard to imagine such a panoramic view of the city could be tarnished." she said.

"Yeah" he chuckled, "Titans tend to be good at messing things up."

She smiled at his gloomy sense of humor. All things considered, things could have been much worse in her eyes.

"I'm sorry Mikasa."

Surprised, she turned to him with a questioning expression. "For what?" she asked.

He didn't answer right away. His eyes soften as he held up his left hand in front of his face. He then told her, "I promised you I would be alright today, but I almost died in battle. You were expecting me to survive and had I died, you would have found out about it later. I couldn't imagine knowing how you would have felt."

Reflecting on how she felt when she thought he died, Mikasa grew silent. Finding her words again she said, "You don't have to apologize to me Eren. You're a soldier, as am I. If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. I shouldn't have put such a burden on you when dying is always a possibility in this line of work."

"Mikasa-"

"Eren I want you to know" she added, "If you need me, you can always count on me."

After staring in her strong brown eyes, Eren smiled. She always knew how to give him comfort, even in the most difficult of times. "Thanks Mikasa."

She returned his smile before turning back toward the city. At that moment, something came to her attention, and it's sort of been bothering her for a bit.

"Eren" she called.

"Yep" he casually answered.

"I noticed Annie seemed to be particularly worried about you today. I'm starting to think she may be attracted to you."

Eren tried to keep his cool on the outside, but inside he was completely nervous about not slipping and revealing their relationship. He told himself he wouldn't say anything about it until she was comfortable to let it be known, most of all he was afraid of Mikasa finding out. He knows very well they have a bit of animosity toward each other. With her protective nature, she might attempt to slice Annie in two if she found out.

"I don't know about all that Mikasa." Eren responded, "I just think she tends to be a little protective over her only student. I guess now she doesn't have to worry so much, since I have this weird ability to turn into a titan haha."

Mikasa studied his laughing form and asked, "What about you?"

"Huh?"

Elaborating, Mikasa said, "How do you feel about her? Do you find her attractive?"

He really felt the heat on now. Eren knew Mikasa could tell if he was lying. They knew each other for too long to know the tell-tale signs. Continuing to smile he replied, "Well, I guess I do kind of find her tomboyish attitude kind of cute. Why do you ask?"

Mikasa clutched her scarf. Shaking her head she said, "Just curious."

A moment of silence passed between them.

"You know she broke your leg once."

"That was an accident. Besides, my leg wasn't broken."

"Or maybe it was, but it healed itself due to your abilities and we didn't know at the time."

"Eren Yeager"

Eren and Mikasa turned as Dot Pixis called his name. "Yes Sir" Eren answered, standing to attention.

Walking over to him, Pixis also peered out at the city. "Legend has it the titans were originally created as a ploy to bring mankind together. It was thought everyone would come together over a single cause to fight the new threat, putting aside petty differences."

Eren sighed, "It looks like that plan failed miserably.

"Yes" Pixis agreed, "Though from talking with your friend Arlert, perhaps the legend of the origin of the titans isn't so far off. He told me your father is the one that gave you your ability to become one, through experimentation. Is that correct?"

Nodding, he replied, "Although I'm not fully sure myself, I believe he had something to do with it, yes."

"Hmmm, very interesting indeed" acknowledged Pixis. "Grisha was certainly a very smart man. Well, that will be discussed further with the higher ups. Right now we have a plan for possibly re-taking the city of Trost."

"Very good Sir" Eren nodded.

Pixis lead Eren and Mikasa over to Armin and the other three soldiers. Upon seeing them, Armin began filling them on their strategy.

"As you both know, the Colossal Titan created a large opening at the entrance of the outer gate. The first responders in the Garrison Unit tried to reseal the hole shortly thereafter, but that cause became lost once a large group of titans suddenly showed up and overtook them. There was a thought about moving a large boulder just to the east of the entrance to seal it, but there simply wasn't enough time to find out a way to move it. This is where you come in Eren."

"Me?" he asked.

"Yeah" Armin continued, "You see this boulder is more than large enough to seal the hole, but short of mechanical engineering and time, there is no way for us to move it. With your strength in titan form, you should be able to move it without too much problem. Once the hole is sealed, we can then focus on slaying the remaining titans within the city, however long that will take."

Pixis stood before Eren and asked, "You think you can handle that young soldier?"

Eren's eyes were confident as ever as he answered, "I'll sure as hell try Sir. We've lost too much to them already. If there is a will, there is a way."

"Yahahaha! Now that's the spirit." Pixis congratulated. Turning to the three soldiers, he introduced them to Eren.

"These three are our most skilled soldiers in the southern territories of the Garrison Unit, and they will be leading this operation. Meet Ian Dietrich, Rico Brzenska, and Mitabi Jarnach."

Eren recognized Ian and Rico right away, as they were standing behind Woerman during their confrontation on the ground. While Ian tried to help them, Eren could tell by her scowl that Rico didn't trust him.

"Nice to meet you all" Eren greeted, "It will be an honor to work together on the battlefield."

"You might want to hold off on that for now." Rico told him. "I will be in charge with watching over you. If you even think about attacking us out there, I won't hesitate to give the order to strike you down."

"Now hold on there Rico." Ian interposed, seeing Mikasa's face harden toward her. "I have experience working with the former 104th. If Ackerman trusts Eren, there is no way he will let us down."

Eren smiled toward him and said, "Thank you Sir."

"With that said" Pixis announced, "I believe you will be the perfect leader to oversee the operations team Ian." Ian did a double take and asked, "Why me Sir?"

Closing his eyes as if in thought, Pixis responded, "You showed level headedness when Eren transformed before the Garrison. While Woerman and the others were filled with dread, you saw through the initial shock, and attempted save Eren's life. We will need that kind of thinking once this operation goes into effect. Anything can go wrong at this point, but just because it goes wrong, doesn't mean one should panic."

"I don't object" said Mitabi.

"I'm also fine with that." Rico agreed.

"Good" Pixis proclaimed, "With that settled, go alert the officers and have them prepare our soldiers for a state of address."

"Sir, yes Sir!" they resounded and moved to carry out their order.

Pixis turned back and looked at the three young soldiers before him. He said, "Humanity has never won a single battle against the titans. Yet if we succeed in taking back Trost, it will be a major step in the right direction. I believe in you three to accomplish this."

Eren clenched his fist and said, "You can count on us!"

Within a few minutes, soldiers began pouring in down below, waiting to be addressed.

"Hey Jean, you said you might know what the big announcement could be about. What do you think it is?" Marco asked him.

"Ah, well I'm not totally sure, but it will have something to do with Eren." Jean answered.

"Eren?"

"Yep, it's kind of hard to explain since you weren't there. Yet you've heard the rumors, and they are right. It seems our beloved suicidal maniac is more of a strange case than we first imagined."

Marco looked with intrigue, but instead of asking further, he decided to wait for the state of address. All throughout the crowd, mumblings were taking place. Some feared they might be called to face the titans again, others were worried there might have been a sighting of the Armored Titan. After everyone gathered, Commander Pixis cleared his throat and called for attention atop the wall.

"Everyone eyes front! In a few short minutes we are going to launch an operation in which we will take back the city of Trost!"

Normally there would be no outward reaction among troops as their commander addressed them, but fear was already running rampant and it couldn't be helped to hear many gasps and voices of panic.

"Yes, your ears have not deceived you!" Pixis added, "We will attempt to seal the hole created by the Colossal Titan. We've just uncovered a secret weapon made from cutting edge science that has the ability to form and manipulate the body of a titan. We will us this power to move a large boulder, and place it in front of the breach to seal it off. Your mission is to pave a clear road for the titan to walk."

Turning to his side and pointing out Eren, he exclaimed, "This young soldier, Eren Yeager, the son of the renowned doctor Grisha Yeager, has such ability."

Down below among the crowd, Connie was taken aback.

"What the hell? So Eren can control a titan?" airing his mind out loud. Then he thought back to the titan that helped them escape the city. 'That was Eren.'

"This is complete bull!" Daz cried out from the soldiers.

"Daz!" Marco tried to calm him down.

Daz shook him off and said, "Their not fooling me, I know this is nothing but a fool's errand to get us to sacrifice ourselves to the titans. I refuse to be manipulated like this."

An officer approached him threateningly, "Hold your tongue soldier, or I might be liable to hold it for you!"

"Do your worst!" Daz challenged, "It wouldn't compare to what the titans could do to me."

Marco tried to calm him down again speaking to him, "Stop it Daz, you have to regain your self control."

"No he's right!" an older soldier of the Garrison next to the commotion stated, "This is suicide mission. I have a daughter; I can't waste my life on something like this."

One after another, soldiers began walking away. Captain Kitts Woerman became enraged at their outright insubordination. Drawing a blade from his gear, he declared, "I will execute anyone who abandons their duty!"

However before he could take action, Pixis once again addressed the crowd.

"Anyone who decides not to cooperate in this mission will be pardoned and are free to go!"

This stunned Woerman and the other officers. Continuing Pixis stated, "This mission will require absolute focus and desire! It's not for those who already think it's a lost cause! All of you have loved ones, and you're free to go to them, spending your time where it matters most! However know this. With the titans continuing to advance on our territory, it's only a matter of time before they reach all of our families, and they will experience the fear many of us have already felt! It is your decision to go to them now, or take a stand and protect them from that situation!"

Upon hearing this, many soldiers reluctantly began to come back and stand before Pixis, deciding for themselves they would face the titans once more for the sake of their loves ones.

Seeing their determination, Pixis nodded and said to them, "As you know, years ago there was an attempt to retake the territory of Wall Maria! Many gave their lives in hopes they could regain what was taken from us! I'm here to tell you all, the government never intended any success to come from that undertaking! It was nothing more than a strategy of population control! The land couldn't support all the refugees from the territory of Maria, so imagine what would happen if we were to lose more territory? Today, we will take a stand! No matter how small it is, we actually have a chance to win this battle!"

Looking over to his side, Pixis noticed the fire in Eren's eyes as he looked at his fellow soldiers down below. 'His father always wanted to help as many people as possible' he mused. 'It seems that same desire was passed down.'

Turning back Pixis cried out, "Prepare yourselves! If you should die in service today, your death won't be in vain! Together, we can and we will win!"

"Sir!" everyone unanimously shouted in one accord.

…

Receiving their last instruction, Eren prepared his mind on what he had to do. His last time as a titan felt like a dream to him, and he couldn't fully remember all that he did. With this duty, he has to maintain his focus.

"Ackerman" Ian spoke.

Eren looked over in their direction, listening in on what Ian wanted.

"You're on the escort team." he told her, "Your skills will be much desired should we face opposition."

"Thank you Sir." Mikasa responded.

Ian smiled and turned toward Eren and his support team. "Alright, I've been informed most of the titans in the city have successfully been drawn toward the walls opposite the outer gate by the decoy teams. Let's head out toward the boulder!"

Given the order, they leapt and moved for their destination. Shortly thereafter, they reached the boulder and Eren landed next to it, while the others staked out on the rooftops. Rico took her flare gun and fired a green round, signaling they reached their destination.

Seeing the green smoke from a distance, Pixis noted internally 'It starts.'

Rubbing the boulder with his right hand, Eren peered up at his fellow soldiers and nodded. 'This is it!' he told himself. Bringing his hand to his to mouth, he bit down and drew blood. Immediately an explosion of light blinded those looking on, and out of smoke rose Eren's titan form.

"**GGGRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"**

Mikasa looked at his form and thought 'Even with his strength, I wonder if it's enough for him to pick up that giant rock, much less carry it to the gate. The good thing is it's not a long walk from here. I still can't believe it, why did your father do this to you Eren?'

Snapping from her thoughts, she saw Eren began to ignore the boulder and focused his attention on the soldiers opposite her along the rooftops. "Eren, what are you doing?" she voiced.

Suddenly, Eren threw a punch toward them. They barely avoided the blow as his fist slammed into the roof.

Rico gritted her teeth and said, "Dammit, I knew he couldn't be trusted."

"Wait a minute!" Mikasa urged, seeing Rico poised to attack Eren's nape. She quickly zipped over to the roof next to Eren's form.

"Eren" Mikasa yelled, getting his attention. "It's me, Mikasa! You have to control yourself!"

Eren turned toward her, his eyes burning a menacing green hue. He roared again and swept his arm across the rooftop to bat Mikasa away. She shot a hook into his forehead and reeled herself toward his face. "Look at me Eren!" she pleaded, grabbing the strands of his hair and staring straight into his eyes. "Don't forget who you are! Don't forget your mission!"

Mikasa turned just in time to see his fist flying directly toward her. She leapt out of the way, causing him to knock himself out. Part of his forehead went flying, steam pouring out from the wound.

Landing back on the roof, Mikasa noticed Eren's regeneration was taking a little longer than when he first fought in his titan form. 'Is that an effect of having transformed so many times in one day?'

Ian and the others landed next to Mikasa, asking if she was alright. She nodded in response. Rico once again pulled out her flare gun and loaded a red round. "Well it didn't take long for this mission to go to crap." she said as she fired it in the air.

Back atop the wall around the inner gate, a soldier notified through her scope that she saw red smoke.

"It looks like there is a problem Sir." she said, "Should we notify the decoy teams to pull out?"

Pixis closed his eyes and said, "Have some patience, I'm not giving up just yet. Though I do admit we seem to have the least luck in the world. Yet we're thinking creatures. Had we given up at the first problems our species ever faced, we wouldn't have lasted as long as we did."

"Very well Sir!" she agreed.

Out along the roofs within the vicinity of the opposite corner of the city from the outer gate, Armin also saw the smoke round. 'That's red smoke, which means they've ran into problems. Oh no, we can't lose now, we've just begun this operation!'

Armin took off toward the smoke, abandoning his post. An officer called out after him, but he wasn't going to turn back. 'Eren, I'm coming just hold on!'

As the operations team looked on Eren's titan form slowly regenerating itself, Rico urged Ian to abort the mission.

"It's been proven he can't control himself while in that form, and who knows if he didn't outright attack us." she argued.

Mikasa shot back and said, "He would never willingly attack his fellow soldiers. It's clear having used this power for the third time today is having an effect on his mind."

"Even so" Rico countered, "that just proves my point this mission is a failure and we should turn back before lives are lost for no reason."

Ian turned to know Mitabi's opinion. He shook his and said, "I have to agree with Rico. If Eren can't continue, then there's nothing we can do." This caused Mikasa to clench her teeth.

Rico adjusted her glasses and said, "So let's make it official Ian. Everyone get ready to head back. If Eren can't exit his titan form, we'll have to leave him behind."

"I'm not leaving him behind!" Mikasa shouted.

"Then stay here and die with him." she said coldly

Mikasa drew her blade and began to move toward Rico, but was stopped by Ian. "Put that blade down Ackerman, this isn't the time to be fighting one another."

Glaring at Rico, Mikasa lowered blade and turned back toward Eren. Ian then looked at Rico and said, "Also as squad leader of this mission, I've decided that we will wait for Eren to heal himself, and try to bring him to his senses."

"What!" Rico contended, "You're going to risk everyone's lives on the sake of these kids?"

"What is your plan to stop the titans Rico?" Ian chided, "As of now that boy is our best hope. Even if the mission is a complete failure, it's the closest we ever came within success on all of our missions combined."

Finding no counter arguments to his points, Rico consented to his point. At that moment, they heard the sound of large footsteps. Looking down the street, they saw two titans heading directly for Eren's unconscious form.

"Shit" Rico spat.

"Right" Ian voiced, thinking the same thing. "I want all of us to take down those two titans while they're still at that distance. It will be much harder to protect Eren if they get any closer."

All of them moved to face the approaching titans. Mikasa started to follow, but was stopped by Ian. "Ackerman I want you to stay here with your boyfriend. You'll be his last line of defense."

She blushed and said, "He's family Sir."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry." Ian smiled as he went off with the rest.

Mikasa watched as they fought the two titans, turning back at Eren to see his forehead was nearly healed but he still lay unconscious.

"MIKASA!"

Caught off guard by the voice, she turned up to see Armin speeding his way over to her. "Armin, what are you doing here?" she questioned.

Landing next to her, he caught his breath and said, "I saw the red smoke. What happened to Eren?"

"When he transformed, he lost his senses and attacked us. I tried to calm him down, but he ended up hurting himself. Ever since then he's been on the ground, not moving at all."

Mikasa felt herself threatening to tear up, but she caught herself and remained focused on the task of protecting him.

The operation team finished off the two titans, but saw three more coming toward them. Armin looking at the predicament faced Eren and said to her, "I'll try to reach him. If Eren doesn't respond quickly, I'll attempt to cut him out of the nape!"

"Armin!"

"There's no time to argue!"

Pushing her fear aside, she nodded and Armin went toward the lower neck of Eren's titan.

Feeling out the neck, Armin could tell it must be pretty hot on the inside. "Hey Eren, can you hear me buddy?" he yelled. Receiving no response, Armin took out his blade and calculated the height and width of a titan's weak spot.

"I'm sorry about this Eren, but if accidently I cut off a limb, you'll be able to regenerate right?" he spoke to himself. Giving himself a margin of era, Armin took his blade and jammed it into the neck. On the inside, it pierced through the top of Eren's left arm, immediately causing him to awaken from the pain.

"**MMMRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH"** Eren's titan cried

"Eren, can you hear me?" Armin yelled, seeing he was now awake.

Eren's eyes fluttered, hearing his friend's voice. 'Armin'

Hoping Eren could hear him, Armin said, "Eren you have to get up and move that boulder. We are all counting you to do it!" Armin could hear Eren's titan form beginning to groan in response to his words. 'He is struggling to focus' Armin thought.

"Come on you're stronger than this!" Armin cheered, "Don't let the titan's urge consume you. Remember what you're fighting for. Remember all those we've lost. You recall their faces don't you? All the good times we've shared with them. Never forget those memories Eren!"

'You're…you're right Armin.' Eren struggled to think. 'The titans took away those we held dear. I can't let them continue to wreak havoc. I promised to rid the world of them. I won't give up on that promise!'

In that instance, Eren's titan began to move, pushing himself off the ground. Armin backed away, looking up at the massive figure before him. Mikasa looked on and saw Eren turn his head and stared down at Armin. She started to shout for Armin to move, but then she looked again and saw Eren nodding his head. His eyes were much softer than before. 'Did Armin reach him?'

Her question was answered as Eren walked over to the boulder and began to lift it. Armin shot his hooks into the surrounding buildings and swung over toward Mikasa. "Eren is alright." he said, "We should go alert the others so we can give him a path toward the breach."

Agreeing, they took off toward Ian and the rest.

Within the decoy team in another section in city, Reiner heard heavy footsteps in the distance. He suddenly saw a massive rock appearing over the rooftops, seemingly floating along at a steady pace. 'It looks like he's learning to control himself' he reasoned, a smile slowly forming on his lips.

Back at the scene, Ian and the others were flying ahead of Eren, desperate to keep all titans out of his way. "Keep it up everyone, he's not far from the entrance now!" cried Ian.

A group of titans suddenly entered through the gate, and started making their way for Eren. Mitabi noticed there were no buildings in the immediate vicinity of the titans, so their maneuver gear became useless.

"What do we do?" a soldier asked him, "We won't be able to stop those titans from reaching our boy."

Slightly trembling, Mitabi pushed himself saying, "Come on, we have to lure them to the side on foot!" Giving them no time to protest, he launched out as far as he could and landed in front of the incoming titans. Encouraged, they followed his lead.

Managing to catch the titans' attention, they began running in a direction away from Eren's path.

Deep within his titan body, Eren was sweating with intensity. He could make out his fellow soldiers distracting the titans around him, and others being eaten in the process. 'Everyone is fighting so hard! I wish I could help them, but if I put the boulder down now, I won't be able to pick it up again. It's so hot, but I have to continue on!'

"Ah, help me!" screamed a soldier caught in the clutches of a titan.

Rico flew in from the side. "Take this!" she shouted, throwing her blades into the creature's eyes. They hit the mark, and the titan released the captive soldier, bringing its hands up to its eyes.

Mikasa used this chance to shoot hooks into its chest, and swung around to the back. Shooting hooks into the neck, she propelled forward and finished it off with a strike to the nape.

"Nice job Ackerman." Rico smirked, landing next to Mikasa as she hopped down from the defeated titan.

"Thanks" she responded, "but you warmed it up for me."

Eren slowly passed them, now only a few hundred meters from the open gate. Off to the side of him a titan had a soldier within its mouth, seconds away from biting down. However, just as its mouth was closing, Ian was able to move in and toss the soldier out of the way.

Mikasa watched in horror as Ian was crushed between the titan's teeth, his head falling toward the ground.

Catching a glimpse of it, Eren was reminded of how he rescued Armin earlier from inside a titan's mouth. Seeing he finally reached the gate and noticing a couple of 3 meter titans coming through the opening, he slammed the boulder down on top of them and into the breach.

Rico's eyes began to water as she realized they have successfully completed the mission. Loading a yellow round into her flare gun, she notes to Mikasa, "We did it. All the lives lost today were not in vain." Mikasa nodded, feeling her own eyes starting to tear up as she looked on Eren's exhausted form.

Seeing a yellow round in the distance, Pixis couldn't help but chuckle. "So, it looks like Yeager's boy came out on top." he spoke to those around him.

One of the younger soldiers around him said, "Sir, you said before that this was the result of science. Tell us, did his father experiment with his own son? If so, what kind of person was he?"

Pixis consider his response and said, "Actually, I didn't know he had a family until today. Grisha was always a secretive man. That said, whatever his reasons for testing something out on his son, he was the kind of person who always looked to help those around him. We can question if it was ethical, but it seems his son has gladly accepted the task his father laid on him."

After a moment of silence, Pixis gave an order to his officers saying, "Send in reinforcements to retrieve the escort team and signal for the decoy teams to retreat. Once everyone is safe, we'll begin to eliminate the remaining titans in the city."

Near the boulder, Eren's titan body fell on it, rapidly giving off steam. Mikasa and Armin went over to him, but it became hard to get too close due to the heat. At that moment, Eren appeared out of the nape and began tumbling toward the ground.

"Eren!" Mikasa cried. Quickly, she ran and caught him just before he impacted the ground.

Armin ran over to them and asked if he was okay. Mikasa looked up in concern and said, "He's hot. We need to cool him down or else he will-"

"Don't worry Mikasa." Armin comforted, "We have to remember he has the ability of the titans now. He should recover, but we have to make sure he gets plenty of rest as we know now that he must not strain this ability."

Mikasa nodded, holding Eren close to her chest.

Rico and the remaining soldiers gathered around Mikasa and Armin, as a group of titans began to enclose on their position. Both Ian and Mitabi died protecting Eren, leaving Rico as the highest ranking soldier left and the one in charge.

"Guys" she called to Mikasa and Armin, "We need to get a move on. Ian was right; Eren gives us hope against the titans. We can't afford to lose him here."

"Right" Mikasa voiced in agreement. Having Armin to help her put Eren on her back, the group looked to move up the wall with their gear. However they looked up and noticed a bunch of soldiers beginning to pour down the wall before the outer gate.

Seeing the emblem from their cloaks, Armin exclaimed, "It's the Survey Corps!"

Landing next to them, Captain Levi gazed at the group and then toward the boulder blocking the entrance. 'What the hell happened here' he wondered. He then turned toward the approaching titans.

Levi ordered those still coming down the wall to eliminate them. They proceeded to make short work of the titans around the area, causing those of the Garrison Unit to be stunned at the amount of skill they displayed.

Commander Erwin came over the wall and landed next to Levi. "It appears the titans have entered the city, but how did this boulder end up blocking the gate?" he asked.

"It's a mystery to me to Sir." Levi responded. Pointing toward Rico's group he said, "Though, they might have a clue as to what happened here."

Rico rushed out to meet them, she saluted and said, "I'm glad you guys are here. With your help, we should be able to easily defeat the rest of the titans in the city."

Erwin nodded but asked, "Tell me, how were you able to move that large rock and seal the entrance."

Smiling, Rico stated, "It's a long story Sir."

…

Within the hour, the Survey Corps finished off the last of the titans, and Trost was finally secured. Immediately, everyone began the clean up effort and the collection of bodies. They all wore protective coverings and gloves so as not to become infected with any pestilence as they handled decaying flesh.

Jean helped another solder move a body toward a row of bodies, waiting to be indentified. Going over toward another body off in the alleyway, he became horrified as he recognized who it was.

"No, it can't be…" he said, "M…Marco?"

The right side of his body was completely missing, while his left side was completely white. His eye was open and void of animation. Jean thought back to the last time he spoke with him.

*****_"So, it looks like I'll be assigned to the north-east corner of the decoy team. What about you Marco?" Jean asked._

"_I'm with the north-west corner. Hopefully Eren be successful. I'm still finding it hard to believe what they say about him." Marco laughed._

"_Yeah well, it's certainly true." said Jean, "I've seen him come out of the Rogue Titan when everyone else headed for the inner gate. Of course as crazy as it is, it explains why it was fighting the other titans."_

"_Yeah, I suppose you're right."_

_An officer whistled to everyone and told them to report to their teams. Before Jean turned toward his team, Marco said, "You be careful out there Jean. If you don't have to take a risk, don't."_

"_Ha, that's funny." Jean argued, "Do you know who you're talking to. If Eren's the suicidal one of our group, I'm definitely the safe and sound guy. But yeah, I'll be okay. You also take care of yourself. You know you will always be welcomed to hang out in my mansion within Mitras District."_

_Laughing, Marco responded, "I'll take you up on that offer!"_*****

"What happened?" Jean stated in disbelief, "Surely someone saw what happened to him."

Continuing to stare at Marco's body, an officer went over to him and asked, "You knew this soldier?"

Jean didn't respond at first, having a hard time believing this was his best friend, having been through so much together and coming out in one piece, now lying lifeless on the street.

"I know this might be hard for you." the officer said, "but we need to finish our work here as soon as possible. Once that is done, we can mourn them properly. Many soldiers that have died today will go nameless. Take comfort that your friend will have his death recognized and his life accounted for."

Jean turned to her as realization sunk in. "His name was…" he began, "Marco Bott."

She nodded and wrote his name down on her clipboard. "My commiseration, I'm sure he was a fine man."

Jean gazed back at Marco, thinking on happier times and said, "He was."

Elsewhere, a lone figure was also looking at a body. This one unrecognizable due to the chew marks, but could still be identified by her badge. On it read: Ruth D. Klein. Staring down at her remains was Annie.

Annie never intended for this to happen. She never intended to get so close to the people around her. She didn't want to feel anything. However as she looked, it was as if she was looking down on her bloodied father. Looking down at damage she herself had caused. Before she knew what words left her mouth, she spoke, "I'm sorry."

"Saying sorry is pointless." a voice came up beside her. She didn't need to look at his face, knowing it was Reiner, the one who started her down this path of guilt.

"Come on." he urged, "let's just place her remains with the others and get out of here as soon as possible."

"Move her yourself!" Annie snarled. She walked off, leaving him with the grim duty of handling Ruth's remains.

…

Feeling something cool being placed on his forehead, Eren groggily opened his eyes and said, "Ugh, my head."

Attempting remove what was placed on his forehead, he noticed something was restraining his hand. He then tried to get up, and that's when he saw his whole body was restrained and chained down to a bed.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but those chains are precautionary." someone said off to his side.

Looking over to his left, he saw a woman with brown hair and glasses staring at him. "Ah, wait a minute" Eren figured, "Aren't you Hange Zoë, Major within the Survey Corps?"

Hange's eyes lit up at his recognition. "Hey, I didn't know I was that famous around these parts. Looks like I'm making a name for myself and who knows, perhaps one day I'll be even more famous than Levi!"

Her maniacal laughter started to make him feel a bit uneasy, especially seeing he was chained down. "Well, I guess some would say I'm something of a fan when it comes to the Survey Corps." said Eren.

"Is that so?" she said, "Well in any case, I've heard quite a bit about you as well, son of Grisha Yeager. I've been told you have a very interesting ability. If you don't mind, I'd like to study you and your power to transform into a titan."

Suddenly a thought struck him. "That's right" he said, "I remember sealing the outer gate off. Where is everyone? They weren't eaten by the titans were they?"

Hange shook her head saying, "Everyone is fine. We arrived shortly after you set the boulder down, and dealt with the titans that remained. We even managed to catch two titans for study. Since that time, you have been unconscious for three days."

"Three…three days?"

"Yes!" she said excitedly, "and by the looks of it, you don't appear the slightest bit hungry or weak, even though you haven't eaten in all that time!"

Running up to Eren and ogling him, she asked, "Tell me Eren, are you hungry?"

Even with the cool cloth on his forehead, Eren felt himself sweating from her leering. "I uh…I guess."

"Yahooooo! He guesses he's hungry!" she shouted, jumping up in joy.

At that moment, Commander Erwin and Captain Levi entered the room, much to Eren's relief.

"So, he's finally awake." Levi commented.

"Yes" Hanji replied, "…and he's not even sure if he's hungry!"

Sighing, Levi said, "Calm down Hange. You know first impressions last a long time."

Walking over to Eren's bed, Erwin asked him, "How are you feeling son."

Eren couldn't believe he was in the presence of the commander of the Survey Corps. In spite of being chained down, he cheerfully responded, "I'm doing well Sir."

Erwin smiled and said, "That's good. I'm sorry we had to tie you down to this bed, but it was the only way to calm down the higher ups once they found out about your power. Even after using it to help save Trost, they still feel uneasy about what to do with you."

Eren nodded in understanding. "That's okay Sir. I'll just have to continue to show them my worth."

"Excellent response young soldier" Erwin commented. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a couple of questions."

"Not at all, what can I help you on?"

"Can you tell me exactly how you came about with the ability to change into a titan?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but my father was working on something special to help humanity recover from serious injury or plague. The regeneration seen in titans was the basis of his work. I had no idea he had the knowledge to actually cause someone to become a titan. Though he never finished his work, as Shiganshina was destroyed and he went missing."

Erwin listened intently to Eren's words. Everyone that had dealings with the government knew of Grisha's expertise as a doctor and scientist. Yet they didn't know about his work concerning the study of titans.

"Tell me Eren" he said while pulling out a string with a key attached to it from his pocket, "What is this key for?"

Eren stared at it shock, not realizing the key was missing from his person. "That key, it belongs to my father. It opened the door to the basement of our house in Shiganshina. Actually, that is where my dad kept all his research."

"I see" stated Erwin scratching his chin.

Eren looked over toward Levi, who was gazing right at him as if he was trying to read his thoughts. Instantly something came to Eren's mind.

"Commander may I speak freely?" he asked

"You may"

"I don't know why my father gave me this ability, but I do remember him saying that everything will be answered if I can make it back to our basement. Perhaps he was able to find out a lot more about the titans than we currently know."

Hange once again lit up at that saying and she cried, "Commander we have to get to that basement!"

Levi tapped her on the head, wanting to know where her senses were off to.

Erwin smiled and said, "Well, you've certainly piqued my interests Eren. I agree with Hange, we need to make it to that basement. I also want to bring you along with us."

"Really?" Eren asked, his own excitement beginning to pick up.

"Yes, but unfortunately you belong to the state right now." Erwin told him. "In a couple of days, you will be brought before the court to determine your fate. Be assured we will present a strong case on your behalf and hopefully they will turn you over to us."

Levi then spoke up and said, "If you are handed over to us, you will be placed in my squad and I will be in charge of watching over you."

Eren nodded and said, "It will be an honor in serving under your lead Sir."

Levi shook off his comment and said, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Should you attempt to transform and attack us, I won't hesitate to strike you down."

Interestingly enough, Eren began to chuckle at his saying. Raising an eyebrow, Levi asked, "You find your own death amusing?"

"No, it's not that." Eren responded, thinking on Rico's apprehension before the operation to recover Trost. "It's just that, it's not the first time I've heard that warning."

Erwin smiled as Levi seemed a little irritated that Eren wasn't frightened.

"Well unlike the other times, I will carry it out." Levi spoke. "With that said, I think you will be alright."

"Thank you Sir!" Eren beamed.

After a few more minutes of conversing, they left Eren and called for servants to tend to him. Inwardly, Eren was grateful that after everything, he will finally live out his dream of being in the Survey Corps.


	5. The Disciplined One

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

*****_text_*** **\- indicates a flashback and/or dream sequence

… - indicates a change of pace and/or a change of scenery

**Chapter 5: The Disciplined One**

It's been five days since the assault on Trost and the recovery. In a coordinated attempt, the military and people of Trost continued to rebuild.

From the window of an empty two story complex, Annie watched the effort with mild interest. Across from her, Bertolt was leaning against a wall, deep in thought of their current situation.

"He's late." Annie finally stated, speaking of Reiner.

Bertolt nodded and said, "Yeah, I believe his group was putting finishing touches on clearing out debris near the capitol building. Of course my group will return to work soon as well so we might have to cut this meeting short."

Noticing she went silent afterward, Bertolt took this opportunity to ask her a question.

"Annie I saw you were going to transform back there, when Woerman was threatening to kill us, or more specifically Eren. What was your plan going to be afterward?"

"Does it matter Bertolt?" she offset his question with her own. "Though it's interesting that paranoid captain wasn't too far off with his ramblings."

He chuckled quietly at her humorous comment.

"You know" Bertolt spoke, "I wish we would have known about Eren sooner. We could have spared all the lives that were lost in Trost, and even in the territory of Maria."

Annie glanced his way and then back at the people down below.

"What's done is done." she stated, "Besides, they are still our enemy. However I will say it's my opinion the people here aren't that much different from our own."

As she continued, Bertolt saw a softness in her eyes that was rarely seen. This was the Annie he deeply desired to know.

"We love to think we're better than them, that we left the weaknesses of humanity behind. The truth is after more than a century, we still fall prey to the same emotions as they do. We still fight with one another as they do."

"You're saying this mission is a waste of time?" he asked.

She shook her head and said, "In terms of our survival, not at all. Yet ultimately all we're doing is killing humanity while a huge part of us is still human. It's a bit fraudulent wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah, I would agree." Bertolt noted.

Hearing someone knocking at the door, they cut their conversation short. Remaining silent for a moment, they then heard a single knock, as to confirm who it was.

"Come in" Bertolt called.

The door opened and in stepped Reiner, sheepishly rubbing his head. "Sorry I'm late, those titans sure made a lot of work for us to clean up."

"I suppose that is what you get for waiting and not breaking through the inner gate." Annie quipped.

Closing the door behind him, Reiner shot back and smirked, "Well had I not waited, we wouldn't have found out about Eren now would we?"

A sound of annoyance left her lips. Bertolt smiled nervously and said to them, "Come on guys, now is not the time to get into it with one another. We have about 15 minutes before I'm due again to help with the relief effort, so let's discuss what action we should take."

"Right" Reiner stated, "Though I'm still finding it hard to believe that Eren is possibly the Coordinate. I doubted that power was still here but if Eren has it, then it was passed down to him. Annie, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed Eren's titan abilities during training. You spent the most time with him right?"

Annie thought for a moment. Looking back it now made sense how he was always able to come back 100% fine the next day to train with her, in spite of the many days where she worked him into the ground. His bruises would always heal, and his cuts would be gone. Then there was the time she kicked his leg and was positive she broke it. Yet later he was able to walk on it without the slightest limp.

She sighed and said "I guess I didn't give it much thought during those days. At that time I was only focused on the mission and getting stronger. I just assumed he was a glutton for punishment."

Smiling, Reiner said, "There's no doubt about that. Yeager can stubbornly take a beating however still, you are usually attentive to everything. You sure you weren't distracted by something else? You took a special interest in training him. Care to explain why?"

"What are you insinuating?" Annie asked, becoming somewhat agitated by his bothersome questions.

"Oh I don't know. Perhaps during your training, you two could have become particularly close, maybe more than friends?"

Annie became defensive, but coolly stated, "How could I become more than friends when we were never truly friends to begin with? Even though you keep forgetting, we are enemies."

Reiner bought Annie's answer but Bertolt could tell when she was hiding something. In some ways he was more attentive than her.

'Does she really have feelings for Eren?' Bertolt thought. Contrary to their situation and allegiances, he has a deep respect for Eren. Yet, a pang of jealousy now tugs at his mind.

"Wait a minute Annie." Reiner again spoke, "Eren isn't our enemy. We now know he's one of us. Plus if he is the Coordinate, we no longer have to continue the destruction of the walls. We were told if we found the Coordinate, our priority would then be to bring that power back home."

"Hmph" she retorted, "You think he would willingly come with us once he finds out who we are and what we done? We essentially caused his mother's death, along with the deaths of countless others. It's possible his father is the one who descended from the original Coordinate, and we know how that power would have gotten passed down to Eren. There's no doubt in my mind he will want to kill us if we told him."

"I agree with Annie." said Bertolt, "Eren is bent on revenge and won't hesitate to exact it."

Reiner shook his head. "We will have to make him understand. If push comes to shove, we'll force him to come with us."

The thought of forcing Eren against his will bothered Annie greatly. After all they've been through and time they spent together, only to find out the person he's been with was the monster that caused his suffering. She thought 'Can I really face him once he knows?'

Seeing Annie's gaze turned toward the window, Reiner spoke up and said, "So here's the plan. I propose we join the Survey Corps. Once we're outside in titan territory and can get a moment with him alone, we'll tell him who we are. If he becomes enraged and attempts to transform, Bertolt, you and I will tackle him to the ground and tie him up. We will then move out on foot until we get far away from the rest. At that point, Annie, you will transform and carry us back home. You are the fastest among us and have the most endurance."

"That sounds like a plan to me. How do you feel Annie?" Bertolt asked.

Annie turned to Bertolt, then back to Reiner and stated, "I don't think that will work."

"What, why wouldn't it?" Reiner insisted.

Turning back toward the window, she stared at the workers below.

"We saw the fear the military has concerning Eren." she spoke, "Even now we don't know where he is. If they were to let him continue his goal in joining the Survey Corps, chances are they will keep him close and supervise him at all times."

Reiner rubbed his chin saying, "Yeah, I suppose you're right on that."

"There's another thing." Annie continued, "We don't know for sure if Eren is the Coordinate. Do you guys remember the report we were given concerning the first attempt to infiltrate humanity and take back the power of the Coordinate?"

Bertolt nodded and said, "Yeah. At that time we sent someone from the Althaus family. That was what, 16 years ago?"

"That's right." she answered. "We never heard from him again. It was assumed he was either killed by the titans or abandoned the mission. If it's the latter, we can guess he decided to live within the walls among humanity. It's entirely possible that Eren's father is the same person."

"That is entirely possible." Bertolt emphasized. "It would be strange for a descendant of the original Coordinate to be among the common people. From what we know of him, he was someone who desired to control the humans. That's why we originally figured his descendant would most likely be within the interior, if not the king himself."

Tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, Annie nodded and said, "The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Eren told me his father was a doctor and scientist, and that was confirmed by the military. We know those from the Althaus family are known for their penchant for knowledge, being the first ones to break away from humanity."

Reiner sighed from the history lesson. "Ok, what do you think we should do?" he asked her.

Annie looked at him and said, "Eren's titan form resembled that of the Coordinate's form. It's the traditional formula used by the Althaus family and the family of the original Coordinate. So, since we don't know for sure if he has that power within him, I'll join the Military Police to have access to the interior. There I can investigate the royal family and whatever leads that would suggest the Coordinate's descendants are there."

"Right" Reiner added. "In the meantime, Bertolt and I will join the Survey Corps; to keep an eye on Eren should the government allow him to join."

All three nodded and left to continue their duties elsewhere.

…

After a hard morning's work, all the soldiers gathered in the massive lunch hall for a refreshing meal. The veteran soldiers got a chance to meet some of the newer soldiers from the 104th.

Many from the Garrison came up to Mikasa and congratulated her on her efforts during the battle.

"Wow, I heard you took out over a dozen titans single handedly. Good job soldier!" one said to her.

"With skills like that, you'll be leading your own regiment in no time!" said another.

Mikasa put on her best smile and thanked them all saying, "I wouldn't have been able to do anything without the help of my comrades."

In reality, she didn't feel like there was much to celebrate. Yes the city was taken back, but she lost a lot of friends in the struggle. It also has been days since she last saw Eren.

'After all he did for the city' she thought 'They still treat him as some kind of wild animal to be locked away. They better not hurt him.'

Getting up to get some tea to drink, she noticed several of her teammates attempting to console Jean at the end of a table. He told them that he was alright, but she could tell he wasn't his normal self, as they all could tell. Losing Marco really affected him.

She detested Jean for the things he said before and the smugness he always displayed. Yet she then remembered his confession of love to her and looking at him now, all she can feel toward him is sorrow.

Once everyone left Jean to his musings, Mikasa went over and sat next to him.

With his elbow on the table and his head resting in his hand, Jean glanced at her and asked, "You sure you want to sit next to someone like me?"

"I not fully sure yet, but, I am sitting." she answered. "I'm sorry about Marco."

Jean averted his eyes out on the rest of the hall. "We've all lost our friends Mikasa. There's no need to feel sorry for me."

"I understand, but we're all here for each other right? We're a family."

Jean smiled at that. Mikasa took it that she accomplished her goal of making him feel better, but that thought disappeared when she heard him say, "Speaking of family, I was so focused on surviving Trost and getting into the MP, that it wasn't until Marco's death that I thought about the safety of my own mother."

"Did she evacuate with the others?" Mikasa asked with worry in her voice.

"Yeah, she's safe, but you see Mikasa, the thought to look for her afterwards didn't cross my mind until a day later. The woman who raised me after her husband left us, I didn't spare one thought towards her during the whole battle."

Lowering his head, Jean spoke, "It looks like I'm turning out just like my question mark of a father. Not giving a damn about anyone but myself."

Mikasa touched his hand, causing him to look her. Her eyes full of sincerity, causing him forget his surroundings. "Don't say that Jean." she comforted, "We are all human, and sometimes we can be selfish. Yet I know you. You love your mother. Don't let a moment of fear erase that love. I know you wouldn't hesitate to help any of us if we needed it."

"Mi-Mikasa" he stuttered out.

"Remember when Eren was threatened with execution by Woerman?" she continued, "You could have left us and save your own skin, but you stood by us and even called Woerman out on his hypocrisy. You and Eren have had your arguments in the past, but you protected him as a friend would."

Chuckling Jean said, "Perhaps I did it just because I couldn't stand Woerman."

"I disagree" she said softly, "You did it because you have a good heart. I…I think I might be falling for you."

All the blood in Jean's body immediately rushed toward his head. Caught off guard, Jean squeaked out, "Really!"

She smiled and said, "No, not really. Yet just for a moment, I wanted to make you feel good again."

Jean let out all the breath held in his lungs as he came down from his high. After a second, he smiled back and said, "Thanks Mikasa. I needed that. I also want to apologize for the things I've said at our graduation party. I had no right to get into your business like that."

Mikasa shook her head and said, "Don't mention it, I've already forgiven you."

Patting him on the shoulder, she got up to get her drink and then went over to Armin who himself was having a difficult struggle with the lost of Mina.

Near the end of lunch, two court officers walked into the room. Bringing all conversation to a halt, one of them announced "Will the soldiers Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert report to military courtroom."

They both stood up and began toward the direction of the officers. Armin asked her, "You think this has to do with Eren?"

She nodded, "Yes I'm pretty sure it does. Hopefully he's alright. The last time we saw him, he was pretty weak from carrying the boulder."

The officers greeted them and turned to lead them toward the courtroom. In spite of the circumstances, Mikasa and Armin were happy they would get a chance to see Eren again.

Continuing to lead them, they entered the foyer leading toward the courtroom, stopping in front of a large set of double doors.

"Here you are." one officer told them, "Inside they are still preparing for trial."

Bowing, he opened the doors to let them through. Inside, Mikasa and Armin saw officers from all three branches of the military moving and sitting in their determined sections, waiting for the session to begin. Mikasa noticed Rico motioning for them over in the left section. Nodding to Armin, they went and sat next to her.

"Hey you two, how are you holding up?" Rico asked.

"We're making it." Armin replied.

Rico smiled and said, "That's good to hear. I've been in the Garrison for a while and never had to deal with the loss of so many friends at one time. I've associated with a few who died while in the Survey Corps, people I've known of from my time in training, but for you guys to have to deal with this straight out of academy…"

Changing the subject, Mikasa asked her, "Today's trial that we're having, is it for Eren?"

"You guessed it." she answered, "I, along with you two, have been called as a witness concerning Eren. Today will determine his fate."

Upon seeing Mikasa's frown, Rico added, "You have nothing to worry about. Head Commander Darius Zackly is a reasonable man. He will come to an honest decision over Eren."

Mikasa nodded and relaxed into her chair. All she could do now was wait for the hearing to begin.

…

Even though it's been a couple of days since Eren known of his current predicament, it felt much longer than that since the last time he had complete freedom of movement. Thankfully they removed enough of his chains so he could sit up on his bed, but they kept his arms tied behind his back. Just as servants finished giving Eren breakfast, Hange stepped into the room with her usual grin, greeting him saying, "Good afternoon Eren!"

"Good afternoon Major." Eren returned.

"Ah, you can call me by name." she said waving her hand, "I'm not one to get hung up on titles."

Behind Hange, another servant came into the room with a set of keys. He walked over to Eren's side and unlocked his chain from the bed post but left the shackles around his wrists on. He then helped Eren on his feet and they walked toward Hange.

She spoke and said, "Today is your hearing. I will be leading you to the court and along the way I will prep you on what to expect."

"Thanks for all your help." said Eren, "I just hope everything turns out the way we want it."

Hange touched his shoulder and said, "Everything should be fine. Just remember if you're asked any questions not to give long answers. You don't want to come across as desperate."

"Yes, most definitely" Eren smiled, though it was kind of hard not to be desperate to get out of those chains.

Hange lead the way as they walked outside and on onward toward the courtroom. On the way, they were met by a scruffy looking veteran soldier. "Eren, this is Mike Zacharius, a squad leader within the Survey Corps." She introduced, "Though I believe he has the fortitude to be a major."

"Nice to meet you Sir" Eren greeted. Instead of returning his greeting, Mike bent down and sniffed the back of his neck, causing Eren to become uneasy by the closeness of presence.

"Oh, that's how he greets everyone." Hange said, "He takes in a person's scent and then smiles."

"Hmmmmm" Mike smiled in response.

'Wow' Eren wondered 'Between Levi's cold personality, Hange's exuberance, and now Mr. Zacharius' socialization skills, I'm starting to wonder if being in the Survey Corps makes a person go insane.'

"Uh, Miss Hange" Eren spoke, seeking to shift his mind back on the positives of the Scouting Legion.

"Yep kiddo?"

"You were with the Survey Corps before we lost the territory behind Maria right? Before that time, missions took place outside the Walls and you guys got a chance to see glimpses of what is out there. I was wondering, have you seen anything interesting in the outside world?"

Hange threw Mike a curious look upon hearing Eren's question. He smiled at her and nodded. Looking back at Eren, she smiled and said, "Wow Eren, it's not often you run into someone who's curious about the world on the outside. You do know there's a stigma about that kind of thinking?"

Eren lowered his head and moaned a "yeah" response.

This caused Hange to laugh. "Of course, there is no such stigma within the Survey Corps. As it is our duty to expand our territory. If you weren't curious about the world, you wouldn't be fit to join us."

She could see Eren's excitement flash across his features. "As for your question" she continued, "Unfortunately we've never been able to travel too far out before having to turn back home due to the titans. However, we were able to see some interesting species of animals not seen within the Walls. One of my favorite is the wolf."

"Wolf?" Eren questioned.

"Yep" Hange answered, "It's similar to the dogs we have here within the walls, so we believe they are related. What I found most interesting about the wolf is the sound of their howl. It is much more defined than a dog's howl, able to communicate with other wolves across vast distances. Perhaps our dogs here descended from these creatures long ago."

"That's amazing." Eren said astonished, wondering what else is out there.

'That's right' she thought to herself looking on Eren's thrilled face. 'His father was a well learned man. It's no wonder he's excited about this stuff.'

Before she knew it, they reached the doors of the courthouse.

"Ah! It looks like I spent all our time talking on other things and not on your prepping." Hange cried out. "Oh well, like I said earlier, you should do just fine."

As the doors were opened, they walked into the foyer and the servant with them motioned for Eren to follow him toward the courtroom. After taking a couple of steps, Eren noticed Hange and Mike walking toward a set of stairs. "You're not coming with me?" he asked them.

"We will be watching you from the upper deck." Hange told him. "Good luck!" With that, they walked up the stairs and entered through a set of doors.

"Come on, they should be ready for you now." the servant called to him, opening up the door leading into the room. Eren followed and walked through. Immediately, all eyes turned toward Eren as he walked into the room.

Eren gulped at the attention as he continued to follow the servant out onto the floor.

"Kneel here and extend your arms out from behind your back."

Eren did as instructed, and knelt in front of a defined notch in the floor. Extending out his hands, he figured they would unlock the shackles around his wrists. Instead, two soldiers placed a long metal beam into the floor, between his outstretched arms. 'Well, this is a very dignified way of having a trial' Eren mused, letting his hands rest against the pole.

Looking to his left, he was able to spot Mikasa and Armin, both with worried expressions on their faces. He gave them a smile as reassurance he was okay.

Up above in the top deck, Hange was seated next to Erwin, taking in how well Eren was handling his situation.

"Did you prepare him well?" Erwin asked her.

"Yep, he should be good to go." Hange responded, giving him a nervous smile. "By the way, where's Levi, I thought he might be interested in would be said in this trial?"

"He's sitting on the lower level." Erwin motioned toward those on the floor. Hange looked to see Levi among the others of the Survey Corps, arms and legs crossed having a bored expression on his face. "If the conversation doesn't go where we want it to go, he will enact Plan B." Inwardly, Hange wondered what her commander had up his sleeve.

After another minute of silence, a door at the back of the room opened, and in walked Darius Zackly, Commander in Chief of the military. All rose to their feet and saluted him as he took his seat.

"You may be seated." He announced, "The hearing for Soldier Eren Yeager is now underway." Everyone took their seat and waited for opening statements to commence.

Adjusting his glasses, Darius took a good look at the young soldier kneeling before him. "As I've come to understand from the Garrison's reports" he spoke, "You, Eren, have a very strange ability, one that was given to you as a result of scientific breakthrough by your father, Grisha Yeager."

Darius looked up toward the Garrison commander, Dot Pixis, and asked, "Is that correct?"

Pixis stood up and answered, "Yes. His ability to transform into a titan was witnessed by Captain Kitts Woerman and those within the southern regiment."

"Hmmmm" Darius nodded, "To tell you the truth I would like to witness this for myself, but of course there's no reason to doubt you. Word of Yeager's transformation will certainly spread among the public, and the king wouldn't want to lose control over his territory. It's important that we be on top of this situation."

Taking up some documents in his hand, Darius declared, "I have two main arguments presented to me by the Survey Corps and Military Police. I will also hear from our public representatives as well. So let's begin with the Survey Corps' case concerning Yeager."

Commander Erwin Smith stood up and acknowledged, "Thank you Sir for hearing our case. As been stated, Eren possesses an ability to transform and control the body of a titan. Naturally the first instinct would be to fear what we do not know and take immediate action to rid ourselves of the risks of that unknown. However, I believe we can learn a great deal from Eren's ability and use it to our advantage. I have personally spoken with him and he has expressed his willingness to join the Survey Corps, to fight against the titans and to further humanity's chances of survival." Once he was finished, he bowed and took his seat.

"Thank you Commander Smith." said Darius, "Now, the Military Police's argument."

Standing up was a man named Nile Dok, Commander of the Military Police Brigade. Clearing his throat he began, "Given the light of extreme circumstances we are in, we believe it's in everyone's best interest to euthanize Soldier Yeager, and study his body. Once we know more about his make up in a controlled setting, we can then use that power more efficiently."

Mikasa wanted to kill the man where he stood. 'There is no way I'm letting you do that!' she thought.

"Thank you Commander Dok." Darius acknowledged as Nile sat down, "At this time I want to open the floor to our public representatives. What concerns do you have over the use of Yeager's abilities?"

Pastor Nick of the Wall Cult immediately stood up and condemned Eren saying, "This person is an abomination before us all. For a hundred years humanity has lived safely behind these walls built by the gods themselves. Yet now we think we don't need their protection anymore. We put cannons atop the Walls, created mobility gear, and now this [thing] kneeling before us. It's no wonder the titans are breaking through the walls. Maria and Rose have removed their protection over the heathens, allowing them to be eaten alive by the monsters of the outside."

Eren gritted his teeth at the nonsense leaving this man's mouth. He started to open his mouth to contest Pastor Nick, but quickly thought against it.

"If you ask me" Nick continued, "This soldier should be offered up in flames as a sweet sacrifice to Sina, before she too becomes enraged against humanity."

"Now let's not be too hasty with that."

Everyone turned toward the one who voiced this opinion. A short, obviously well fed man stood up, a smile across his face.

Mikasa's eyes widened as she realized this was the same man who was blocking the gate with his goods during the evacuation. 'What does he want?' she wondered.

Darius adjusted his glasses to take a look at the man. "Ah, Dimo Reeves. I'm sure you're here on behalf of all the merchants within the Walls. If Pastor Nick is done, you may have the floor."

Pastor Nick sat down, tossing Dimo an irritated look and mumbling something about "heretics" under his breath.

"Thank you for the opportunity to express our feelings Mr. Zackly." Dimo began, "It's understood that this young man used his talent to exterminate many of the titans that invaded Trost and ultimately he played a pivotal role in resealing the gate. Thanks to him, not only was humanity able to hold on to a buzzing city like Trost, but all the cities and territory within Wall Rose. I believe Mr. Yeager is best served right here, protecting Trost from another breach. As for the rest of the cities, we should reinforce the walls surrounding the outer gates."

"That is absurd!" Pastor Nick shouted. "You wish to further degrade the Walls, bringing more anger down on us from the gods?"

Dimo laughed and said, "Spare me your threats of damnation. The only way to have good fortune is to go out and get it yourself."

"How dare you!" Pastor Nick exclaimed.

"Alright that is enough, order." Darius spoke calmly, getting the two to settle down. Within the seats, Mikasa thought to herself that even though this Reeves guy was only interested in his bottom line, at least he was arguing for Eren's safety. To think, she was only seconds away from ending his life back there.

Gathering some more documents, Darius spoke again and said, "Now I will cross examine these arguments concerning Soldier Yeager but before I do that, I want to know your opinion Eren. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Eren met his gaze with a nervous smile and said, "I certainly don't want to be sacrificed to Sina Sir." At this the courtroom erupted in laughter, much to Pastor Nick's frustration.

As order returned to the courtroom, Eren remembered Hange's advice of keeping his answers short.

"I also don't think being dissected will serve any fruitful purpose. I wish to serve humanity and fight against the titans."

Mumblings were heard around the court concerning Eren's answer. Darius held up his hand, bringing the room back to silence. He then nodded at the young man and said, "That is very admirable, but something concerns me. According to the Garrison's report, during the recovery mission, when you transformed you immediately attacked surrounding soldiers."

Eren was caught off guard at this, not sure as to what the Head Commander was speaking of. He thought the mission went off without too much problems other than the loss of the soldiers who cleared the way for him. Did he attack them as well?

Mikasa gave Rico an angered look, to which she whispered, "We're not going to lie on our reports. The Head Commander is just voicing his concerns, to get a better picture of Eren's mindset."

Seeing the confusion in Eren's face, Darius continued, "It seems you don't have full control over your titan form. The report also states you even attacked a fellow member from your trainee squad, Soldier Mikasa Ackerman."

At this, Eren's eyes widened in alarm. Darius turned to look at Mikasa and asked her, "Is that accurate?"

Eren turned toward Mikasa, a look of fear clearly evident on his face. Looking into his eyes, Mikasa hesitated to answer Darius' question. Rico again whispered and said, "Lying won't help him Ackerman. Just be honest, he needs to hear this as well."

With a defeated expression, Mikasa swallowed and said, "Yes Sir, the report is accurate. After transforming he lost control, and temporarily attacked us. However, another one of his fellow soldiers, Armin Arlert, was able to reach him. He then fulfilled his mission in sealing the wall. Also prior to that he saved many soldiers within the city and helped them in their retreat."

Darius nodded and said, "Certainly. His power was very useful in the battle." Turning to Erwin, he addressed, "Captain Smith, you want to use this power to fight in titan territory. However, if Eren should lose control, it could result in a massive lost of life. Things are already hard enough on our Scouting Regiment. Is this wildcard really worth the risk?"

Erwin stood up and confidently said, "Yes Sir, I believe it is. Since the Survey Corps was created over 80 years ago, we've failed to gain even the slightest bit of land. Back then, the survival rate of a Recon member was nearly zero percent. However as we learned more concerning the titans' weakness, and with the introduction of maneuver gear, more men and women came back home to their loved ones. Eren's ability is the latest in science and technology to ensure not only our survival, but our success as well. All thanks to the genius of his father."

"I see." Darius contemplated. Letting his elbows rest on the arms of his chair, he leaned forward with his hands folded and said, "While I agree this ability will help us against the titans, I'm still hesitant to put him back out there on the battlefield without having full control. For that reason as well, it would be too dangerous to allow Yeager to guard the public against any more invasion attempts. The MP's argument seems to be the safest out of them all, which we are still able to learn more about Grisha's discovery of titan transformation. I'm troubled however that it would come at the cost of his son's life."

Erwin's expression darkened at this. Turning towards Eren, he could see his expression also turned downward. He didn't tell the higher ups about Grisha's research in the basement for this reason, that should they lose Eren to the government, they could still go and recover what was there.

Yet he wasn't giving up on Eren just yet either. Glancing over at Levi, he gave him a single nod. Levi returned it and started to move from his seat, but stopped as he heard someone beginning to protest.

"Commander in Chief, I believe that would be the wrong decision!"

Eren turned and upon seeing the one speaking, he happily expressed, "Armin!"

Armin gazed at Eren with conviction and addressed the court saying, "I've known this soldier for a long time and I can tell you I've never met anyone more passionate about freeing mankind from these walls. Surely his father knew there would be problems in trying to control the titan transformation. Even if we could replicate it by studying Eren's body, the next person will have the same struggles if not more. Grisha knew his son had the will to control it, and that's exactly what happened when he completed the mission to seal the outer gate. I believe it would be better to keep Eren alive and let him learn to control it over time."

"I agree with that assessment." Mikasa stood up and echoed, "Eren is the best man to handle this task."

A few moments of silence passed as everyone waited for Zackly's response. Nile Dok decided to take this time to give his take.

"We understand your need to defend your friend." he began, "Nevertheless; it's too risky to leave this task in Yeager's hands. In spite of what you two have said, he is prone to fits of rage even as he is now."

Mikasa angrily stated, "Don't talk like you know him."

"Oh?" Nile insisted, "I know him a little better than you might think. We studied his past and there are documents of both of you killing three human traffickers six years ago."

A gasp went up from the crowd upon hearing this information.

Nile continued, "From what the investigators could tell from the scene, their bodies were horribly defaced indicating he didn't simply kill them to save you, but he reveled in watching them die."

Mikasa's anger steadily increased. 'How dare he talk about that incident in a way to make it seem like Eren was the inhuman one.' she seethed inside.

"We also conduct a study on all those who make it pass the first few months of their training at our academies." he continued, "Eren was among those who willingly stated he wanted to join the Survey Corps, the military branch that has a very high death rate within the first year among soldiers. I think it's safe to assume he has a fascination with death and killing."

"You're wrong!" Mikasa shouted. Eren saw her eyes flashing with fury and her hands shaking. "Eren is one of the few who truly appreciates life and all it has to offer. That's why he fights with passion. To protect people from those who wish to take life away!"

Pastor Nick stood up and accused her saying, "Why should we believe you? Who's to say you yourself are nothing but a titan in human disguise as well? I say both of you need to be put to death!"

On that, Eren reached his breaking point.

"DON'T YOU DARE LAY A FINGER ON HER!" he yelled, attempting to move toward Nick but his chain restricted him, violently clanging against the metal pole. "Those of you who live in the interior and never even seen a titan, how dare you even bring your opinions to the table."

By now Eren had the attention of the whole courtroom. He looked up toward Erwin and Hange, wondering if he should tell it like it is. Hange frantically shook her head and waved her hands, hoping he would close his mouth. 'I'm sorry Hange' Eren thought, 'but if I'm going to be put to death anyway, I'm going to make sure they understand how I feel.'

Turning to Nile Dok, Eren began, "You're nothing but cowards pretending like you're making a difference. You're content living in your luxury, while others are suffering all the time."

Eren then whipped Nick's way saying, "…and you, you live off of people's fear. They come to you for comfort, but if you truly gave them what they needed, you would no longer be needed. So you feed their fear in hopes they will continue to lift your organization up."

With eyes of great conviction, Eren growled, "All of you are cowards! If you're going to be a coward, then be one! Yet when someone comes along and wish to change things, don't condemn them for stepping out when you're too weak to do it yourselves. Stay out of my way! Go hide under a bush and leave the burden of humanity's success to me!"

Within seconds of finishing his rant, Eren felt immense pain as a figure kicked his face so hard, that a tooth flew out of his mouth and onto the floor. Blood oozing down his chin, Eren turned to look at the figure and realized who struck him. "Captain Levi?"

Immediately Levi kicked him in the stomach and kneed him in the face as he huddled forward.

Mikasa stared in pure shock at what she was witnessing. After Levi connected with a couple of more blows, rage suddenly began to swell in the pit of her stomach. Immediately she began to move forward, but Armin caught her arm.

"Wait a second Mikasa." Armin persuaded, earning a confused look from the girl. "Levi is a captain of the Survey Corps. I believe what he is doing now is an attempt to sway opinion." Armin pointed toward Erwin, who was looking on the spectacle with a calm expression.

Mikasa looked and eventually relented, but only a little.

Eren doubled over coughing up blood with his face on the floor. Levi placed his foot on his head and said, "How dare a little brat like you address his superiors in such a way? You don't deserve to be treated like a man, but you need to be trained, like a dog."

Nile held up his hand to get Levi's attention and said, "Wait a minute Captain. You might inadvertently trigger his transformation."

Levi turned his way and said, "It doesn't matter, I'm well able to handle him in either form. It may be my personal opinion, but I believe pain is the best form of discipline. Yet I ask you, would you be able to handle him if he transforms, before you euthanize him and all?"

Taking a moment to think on it, Nile really didn't consider that prospect himself.

Suddenly Erwin raised his hand and said, "Commander Zackly, I have a proposal. Allow us to take Eren under our wing and to go with us on our next expedition. I will place him under Levi's care. If things get hairy, he is more than qualified to get a handle on it. At that time, Eren's fate would then be decided based on the results of the expedition."

Darius looked thoughtful. Turning toward Levi he asked, "Do you think you can handle him should he attack your squad Captain Levi?"

Levi lifted Eren's head with his boot, and pinned him against the pole with it. "I can certainly kill him should he get off his leash."

Levi sensed the air becoming heavy and turned to see Mikasa glaring at him in pure hatred.

"Hmmmm" Darius contemplated, "I believe I've made my decision."

Everyone held their breath in expectation when finally he announced, "I will accept Commander Erwin's proposal. Soldier Eren Yeager will be left under Levi's care, to train his ability. The success of the Survey Corps next expedition will determine if Eren is useful or destructive. This court is hereby adjourned until that time."

With the court being dismissed, everyone began filing out into the foyer, but Mikasa and Armin ran over to check on Eren.

"Eren are you alright?" Mikasa worriedly asked him.

A little dazed, Eren managed to chuckle at her and groaned out, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Remember, I trained with Annie. I'm used to getting kicked."

For a second she smiled seeing he was well enough to make a joke, but she quickly turned towards Levi with fire in her eyes.

"If you ever hurt Eren again, I swear…" she started

"Wow, you guys have a way with challenging authority." Rico interrupted, walking up to join them. "Captain Levi is our best soldier in the military Ackerman. I wouldn't take him so lightly."

"Ackerman?" Levi questioned aloud.

Rico looked at him and answered, "Yep. You know Levi, Mikasa is pretty skilled herself. Perhaps with a little experience, she could be just as good as you, perhaps better."

"Is that so" Levi stated. He and Mikasa shared in an intense stare down of one another, before the silence was interrupted by Hange's gleeful laugh as she, Mike and Erwin walked up to the group.

"Levi what a performance!" she remarked, "I know it was tough to act like you were defending the Military Police's honor. The commander's back up plan worked like a charm."

Levi glanced at her and said, "Actually I never enacted the original plan. I was only to speak my case and refer to my experience in handling titans. Yet with the brat's outburst giving credence to Dok's theory of his instability, I had to improvise. Weren't you supposed to coach him up on this hearing?"

"Oh, yeah" Hange stated beginning to sweat, "Well I guess it all worked out in the end, Eren is still breathing isn't he ha-ha?"

Everyone looked at Eren as she pointed in his direction. He still looked a little dazed, causing everyone to shake their head and sigh.

In that moment, something caught Hange's eyes that she found particularly interesting. "Hey Eren" she said, "If you don't mind can you open your mouth for me?"

Somewhat confused at her intention, Eren nodded and opened up for her to get a look inside his mouth.

As she took a moment to examine, a smile spread across her face. "Well I'll be…" she said, "You seem to have all of your teeth firmly in place."

"Yeah, why wouldn't they be?" Eren asked.

Hange walked over and picked something off the ground. Going over to Eren, she knelt down and showed him what she picked up.

"Is that, a tooth?" he questioned

"That's correct." she told him, "In fact, it's your tooth. Levi kicked you hard enough that it was knocked loose. So if you currently have all of your teeth inside your mouth, it means you have already regenerated the one you lost."

Eren continued to stare at his tooth, and unconsciously attempted to hold it, but then he noticed his hands were still restrained. Seeing his uncomfortable jostling, she smiled and said, "Let me get the keys for those shackles. You've been through enough for one day. You did great kiddo."

Eren watched as she went toward a guard to get the keys for his shackles. Looking up at everyone, he felt like he's been giving a golden opportunity to cause the change he ranted about in the court room.

'Dad, I'll master what you've entrusted me with.'

…

Early the next morning, Captain Levi gathered the best soldiers from his squad and formed a special operations team whose sole duty entailed keeping check over Eren during his days of training. Shortly thereafter they left Trost with Eren in tow, heading further inland within Rose territory. As they traveled along, Eren couldn't help but think on his friends.

'Man, we left so early I didn't get a chance to speak with them to see how everyone was.' he thought to himself. Though he knew due to his current circumstances, he wasn't allowed to go anywhere without permission. Even if he had the time, he didn't have the freedom.

The soldiers of Levi's Squad were a little antsy around him. Their specialty was killing titans, yet here they are, watching over a young man who could turn into what they feared most. Being informed of Eren's strength while in titan form, they weren't willing let their guard down.

However one from the squad, Petra Ral, felt somewhat sorry for Eren and took notice of his sad demeanor.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him.

He looked at her as if he was waking up from a light nap. Shaking his head he said, "Oh it's nothing, just thinking on my friends. We've been through a lot in a short amount of time. I wish we could have talked before I left this morning. I don't know when I'll see them again."

"Don't be surprised if you never see them again." piped soldier Oluo Bozado.

"Oluo!" Petra snapped at him

He shrugged her off and said, "It's a truth among those of the Survey Corps. Its better he learn that now. You never know the next time you set foot beyond these walls, will be your last time."

"Well, well. Look at you trying to sound tough all of a sudden." Petra remarked, "I wish you would stop trying to be like the captain."

Oluo chuckled at that. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh you don't? Look at your haircut, the way you wear your uniform, it definitely seems your copying his style."

"Not so at all. I have you know the captain and I go to the same tailor. In fact we-_**crunch!**_-OOOOOOWWW!"

Oluo yelped in pain as he accidently bit his tongue. Petra simply shook her head at her clumsy friend.

Gunther Schultz, another soldier chosen by Levi to serve on this mission, glanced Eren's way. Out of the rest, he trusted Eren the least. However he found it interesting that in spite of knowing one false move could lead to his death, he was more worried about the sake of his friends.

"Tell us Eren" Gunther spoke, "How much do you care for your friends?"

Eren blinked at the question. "Very much Sir." he answered, "They are like family to me."

Gunther nodded and said, "That's to be expected I suppose, but I'm curious as to how well they took your transformation. Did they fear you?"

Eren thought back to the first time he was accused of being a monster by Captain Woerman. How they stood by him and were ready to risk their lives for his sake.

"No Sir." Eren replied, looking up toward the sky with a smile glinting across his face. "In fact after I realized what I could do, I wanted them to abandon me. The Garrison was ready to execute me at the time and I didn't want them to die in the crossfire. Yet they stood by me."

This caught the group's attention. The second in command, Eld Jinn, and even Levi turned to look at Eren smiling toward the heavens.

'Hmmmm' Gunther thought 'Perhaps the military's suspicions are wrong concerning this kid. He seems trustworthy.'

After another hour of traveling, they reached their destination, an abandoned mansion that was originally used as the old headquarters for the Survey Corps. It provided plenty of open land for Eren to learn to control his titan form, and was far away from the public.

With the place being dirty and full of dust from years of non-use, Levi's first order to his squad was to clean it from top to bottom.

Now Eren was used to having cleaning chores from the academy, but Levi took cleaning to new heights. If you couldn't eat off the decades' worn floors once you were done wiping them down, he would make you start completely over. In spite of his regenerative talent, Eren could have sworn he felt calluses starting to form on his feet from running around all day.

Petra laughed and said to him, "Bet you didn't know a tough guy like Levi had such infinity for cleaning!"

Eren breathing heavily responded, "No kidding."

…

During dinner, Hange stopped by to check up on Eren. She has been placed with the duty of recording Eren's behavior while in titan form, and to study how his ability works.

"I'm so excited to work with you Eren!" she squeaked. The others left her and Eren at the table, not wanting to be bored by her talk of titan research. "You know, you're the first quote unquote titan I've had the means to effectively communicate with."

Eren sighed and said, "Yeah, if only titans could speak. We could at least ask them why their killing us."

"Actually" Hange chimed rubbing her chin, "We have reason to believe some titans can talk."

"What, really?" Eren asked astonished.

"That's right." she continued, "During an expedition I came across a diary of a fallen soldier. Her name was Ilse Langnar. She recorded her last moments with a titan that actually spoke to her."

"Wow, that's hard to believe. What did it say?" he asked

"According to the diary it said to her: Ymir's people, Miss Ymir. It also bowed to her, showing her respect."

"Ymir's people, Miss Ymir?"

Suddenly a picture popped into his head of many titans kneeling before Ymir, and her having a smug expression on her face. Eren started to chuckle at the thought, knowing somehow it seemed fitting.

Hange took a notice of interest and asked, "What's funny about that?"

Eren shook his head and addressed, "One of my fellow cadets from training is named Ymir. I think she would be pleased if a titan bowed before her."

Hange smiled and said, "What a coincidence eh?"

"Yeah. Still, a titan being able to talk at all is quite mind-boggling. Not only that, but you said it bowed as well and showed the soldier Ilse respect?"

"Yes, even after the titan killed her, it placed her body inside of a tree as a memorial of sorts. These are very strange actions for a supposedly mindless creature."

Eren clenched his fists and said, "I guess in the end it doesn't matter right? They still hunt us down and kill us. No matter how strange their actions, they're still nothing but monsters."

Hange looked at him for a minute before happily expressing, "You know, I used to think just like you and everyone else for that matter. Yet one day out of rage, I kicked the head of a severed titan. I knew my foot would hurt like hell afterwards for kicking something so heavy, but at the time I didn't care. Yet that's when I noticed something."

Hange paused; taking note of Eren's interested expression.

"What was it?" Eren asked after a couple of more seconds passed.

"Its head" she said with a wide grin, "It weighed next to nothing. It was as light as the air it disintegrated into. Logically speaking, even the heads of the smallest of titans should weigh a lot, yet this one didn't. It made me wonder what it was we were fighting. So since that time I decided to fight the titans from a different perspective. To learn all I can about them."

Eren took a few seconds to chew on everything that was said. 'I guess on the outside she may seem crazy to a lot of people.' he thought. 'Yet in reality, she's just the person to finally make sense of what the titans are and how to defeat them.'

"Oh well" spoke Hange, "I better head back to Trost before it gets too dark out there. I've successfully kept the two titans we captured alive thus far, so you can tell I don't want to be away from them too long. So get some sleep Eren. I will return early tomorrow to work on your progress."

Getting up and walking toward the door, she stopped when she heard Eren call to her.

"Hange"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"Once we reach Shiganshina and the ruins of my home, I entrust all of my father's research into your hands."

Hange's eyes widened, not exactly sure if she heard correctly. "Really Eren?"

He nodded and said, "Most definitely! I don't know where my father is, but I'm sure he would want someone like you to continue what he started. Of course being the head scientist over the study of titans for the Survey Corps, you would have been put in charge over the research anyway, but I wanted to give you my blessing."

Without warning, Hange ran over toward Eren and scooped him up into a bear hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you Eren!" Hange squealed, spinning around on her right forefoot.

"Y-you're wel-come." Eren managed to say, becoming a little nauseous from her vice-like grip and being spun around.

"Oh, sorry" she giggled. After putting him down, she rubbed his head and stated, "I accept the responsibility you've given me, but I want you to do something for me as well."

"What's that?" he asked.

"I want you to assist me with your father's research." she answered, "I can tell you have a lot of interest with not only the titans, but the world in general. I'll teach you everything I know and one day, you will be as great a scientist as your father. At that time, I'll hand his research back to you, to continue his legacy."

This time it was Eren's eyes that widened with excitement. He remembered the last time he spoke with his father that he would let him assist with the research if he was good for his mother. Now five years later, he will finally get a chance to assist in the research.

Eren nodded in agreement and with that, Hange departed for the night.

Early the next morning she returned to help Eren with his first day of training. Levi discussed a plan with his squad that should Eren lose control of his titan form, they could cut his body out of the nape instead of killing him. With that in mind, Hange suggested they could place Eren down into a dry well nearby. That way they would be in better position to cut him out.

After lowering him into the well, the group stepped back and Levi fired a flare into the air signaling for Eren to bite his hand and trigger the transformation.

A few moments passed by, and the group realized nothing was happening.

Hange looked at Levi and asked, "What is he waiting for? Do you think he saw the flare?"

"I don't think that is the problem." he replied. Walking toward the well, they both peered down to see Eren biting away at his hands in apparent frustration.

"Come on, change! Why is it not working?" they heard him yell to himself.

Levi shook his head and stated to Hange, "It seems him losing control over his form is only one problem we have to deal with." Hange sighed and nodded.

After another try, they noticed Eren's wounds to his hands weren't healing. So Hange decided to call the training off for the time being until it kicked back in gear.

Sitting down for lunch with the rest of Levi's squad, Eren was extremely discouraged that he failed to transform. Eld looked over Eren's bandaged hands, seeing the dried blood stains. He pondered at how gruesome the process was just to transform, yet still Eren couldn't do it after dealing such harm to himself.

Levi walked over and addressed Eren, "I've told Hange if your hands don't heal soon, that she should head back to Trost and continue her experiments on the captive titans. If we don't get a handle on your abilities, we may have to scrap the mission for Shiganshina for the time being."

Eren looked up from his meal in surprise. "Captain, we can't do that." he expressed.

"We're not going to risk lives to retake Wall Maria should we find you not being able to transform. Not to mention the question of your lack of control while transformed." Levi responded.

Eren looked down at his hands, feeling like a failure for already having let everyone down.

Sensing his anguish, Levi spoke and said, "Listen I'm not giving up on you just yet. We'll try it again perhaps tomorrow. Maybe you need more than simple pain to trigger the change. Maybe, you also need a sense of danger. This I can provide with ease."

All of a sudden Eren felt the hair rise on the back of his neck, causing the others at the table to laugh at his uncomfortable expression. "Thanks for the inspiration Sir." Eren nervously spoke.

As Levi walked away to fix his own meal, Eren picked up his spoon to eat his. However a twinge of pain shot through his hand, causing him to drop the spoon to the ground. Petra offered to go get him another one, but he stated he was fine.

"I can wipe the spoon off, it's no problem." he told her.

Reaching down to pick the spoon up, another ache of pain shot through his hand and suddenly a light explosion knocked the squad away from the table. Eren looked down in shock as he noticed he was attached to a partially transformed, right upper torso and arm of his titan form.

Eren asked himself what just happened. Why did he transform all of a sudden, and only partially? He heard Levi's voice call over the silence, saying in a firm manner, "Now calm down."

Eren instantly began to say he was fine, but then he noticed the fierce expressions on his squad mates' faces, all looking with contempt toward him. All of them had their blades drawn and Eren knew if it weren't for Levi stopping them, he would already be dead.

"Everyone detach your blades." Levi spoke, "This was an inadvertent transformation." In fact, for this reason Levi had Eren sleep in the dungeon the night before. Just in case he shifted forms in his sleep.

The squad didn't obey Levi's order right away. Instead they kept their guard up, thinking Eren purposely attacked them.

"Eren, what is the meaning of this!" Petra yelled at him, "Were you trying to kill us just now?"

"What?" Eren choked out. "No, I would never-"

"Then why did you transform in our midst!" Oluo shouted.

"I-I…" Eren stuttered. 'What's happening?' he asked himself 'Why did I suddenly change like I did?'

Gunther inched closer and said, "Answer Eren. Are you our friend or our enemy?"

At this point, Eren became unable to speak. He could handle being threatened with his life, he's already experienced that a couple of times already. Yet looking in their faces, he knew he betrayed their trust. The very thought tormented his soul.

"Everyone stand down." Levi ordered, more sternly this time, "It's clear he didn't mean for this to happen."

"Captain, I believe he knows his act is up and is cornered. That is why he's gone silent." Eld stated. "Just as the MP suggested, he's too much of a threat. We should eliminate him now."

Before Levi could respond, a loud shout ranged out from the distance.

"EREEEEEEEEEEENNN!"

Everyone turned to see Hange running from the direction of the mansion, two of her assistants scampering behind her.

"Hey, you transformed without me!" she yelled in excitement, causing Eren to forget his current predicament.

As she reached the scene, Eld tried to stop Hange from approaching Eren saying, "Major, you shouldn't get too close."

She ignored him and made her way to Eren's partially transformed arm.

"Oh what do we have here? It's not a complete change, but we're making improvement! Can I touch the arm Eren, can I?" Hange pleaded.

Not sure what to say, Eren nervously nodded his head. The moment Hange placed her hands on the arm, she immediately screamed out.

"Waaaaaaaaahooooooooo! Son of a bitch that's hot!" she cried in joy.

Patting her hands on her clothes, she turned back to Eren and asked him how his own arm stays connected with his titan's. At this, Eren noticed he could wriggle his arm within the muscle. After some doing, he managed to break free. No longer being attached to the source, the upper right torso began to disintegrate.

"Oh no, you disconnected too soon Eren. I wanted to do some more examination." Hange whined.

Levi let out a sigh and walked over toward Eren. "I think there has been enough excitement for today." he said, "Go rest up, we'll handle your part in chores."

Eren nodded and began walking toward the mansion. He took a glance back at the others, and he could still see the anger in their eyes.

Once he left ear shot, Eld addressed Levi.

"Captain, I think it's a huge mistake to keep him around any longer. Who knows when he will strike, and he's much more powerful than an average titan."

Levi waved him off. "I won't hear any more about this. Today's transformation was an accident, probably due to trying to force it earlier." Turning to face the rest of his squad, Levi said, "We still have work to do before the day is out. So get to it."

As they started to leave, Hange looked back on the fading titan arm. She noticed what appeared to be a spoon clenched in its hand. She pondered 'an accident eh?'

At dinner, Levi thought it was best for Eren to eat without the presence of the others for the moment. So he himself guarded Eren as he ate his meal alone, until Hange came in with her custom smile painted on her face.

"Hey Eren, how are you holding up?" she asked

"I'm holding." he meagerly replied.

"Ah don't worry about those guys. They will come around eventually." she comforted. "Anyway there is something I'd like to ask you."

"Yeah sure, what is it?"

Hange looked at Levi who was sitting next to Eren. "Levi said your transformation today was an accident. I examined your titan arm and came across something interesting."

She reached in her pocket and pulled out a spoon. "Your titan hand was holding this before it dissipated. Care to explain why?"

Eren thought back and said, "I dropped it while eating my lunch. I then remember trying to pick it up before pain shot through my hand. After that, a flash of light appeared and the titan arm appeared."

Levi shared as glance with Hange, knowing that she already placed a connection between the transformation and the spoon.

"I see." Hange proclaimed, "It seems self inflicted pain is not the only trigger for your transformation. You only partially transformed because of need. You desired to pick up this spoon, but your hand was badly wounded. So with the pain, and the purpose of eating your meal, you created an arm and hand to pick the spoon up."

"Hmmmm" Levi uttered.

"So I transformed, just to eat my food?" Eren questioned aloud.

"Yes" Hange affirmed, "That is you specifically transformed to eat your food. The greater your purpose, the stronger your transformation will be, along with the sting of pain of course."

"Well that's interesting Hange." said Levi. "If your conclusion is correct, I suppose you don't have to sleep in the dungeon tonight Eren. There appears to be enough fail safes within the transformation process to where you have to at least be awake to trigger it."

Eren smiled at the thought of sleeping in a room that had a window. Yet it faded as he again thought about letting his teammates down.

"I'll have to apologize to the squad tomorrow and tell them what happened." Eren resolved. "Now that I know how to transform, we can also begin training. Why don't you stay the night Hange? That way we can begin immediately."

Hange shook her head and said, "I would like to, but I can't stay away from Sawney and Bean too long."

"Sawney and Bean?" Eren questioned

"Those are the names she gave to the two titans we captured." Levi quipped. "She treats them as if they were her beloved pets."

Hange laughed, "I resent that Levi they aren't my pets."

She clasped her hands and became starry eyed, continuing to say, "They are my beloved test subjects! Each being living, thinking creatures with their own personality. I hate leaving them alone for too long. I wonder how they feel when I'm gone."

"Yes, well, we wouldn't want to keep you from them any longer." Levi rubbed his head in exasperation, causing Eren to grin.

Hange nodded and waved to them as she left.

The next morning on the training grounds, Eren began to address the group his apologies for the day before, but Petra stopped him. What happened next caught him completely off guard. Eld, Petra, Gunther, and Oluo all put their thumbs into their mouth, and bit down hard enough to draw blood.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Eren asked them.

"Captain Levi explained to us what happened." Petra told him, "This is our way of apologizing to you for our overreaction. I hope you can forgive us."

For a second time, Eren found himself unable to speak in their presence. However, this time he was overwhelmed with a sense of joy. Eld came over and put his arm around him.

"You know Eren" he began, "Even though our job is to monitor your progress, we are also here for your protection as well. We want you to feel that you can trust us."

"Y-yes Sir!" Eren responded with confidence.

As they waited for Hange to show up, Gunther and Oluo decided to teach Eren some basic maneuver techniques of the Survey Corps. Petra and Eld stood with Levi, watching Eren practice.

"He's a bright young soldier who is full of energy." Petra said to them, "I still feel bad for accusing him yesterday."

"Your reaction, as well as the rest was what kept you alive to this point, so don't feel bad." Levi told her. "He doesn't resent you for it."

Petra smiled. "He's a lot like you Captain. He has your dedication to fight the titans. I think it's because of that you knew yesterday was an accident. I thank you for stopping us, stopping me from making a terrible mistake."

She then looked down at her thumb, looking at the puncture mark made by her teeth earlier.

"Having the weight of mankind's success against the titans, is a pretty big burden for someone so young." she stated.

"That's to be sure." Levi agreed, "I'm also sure he hates the fact that he will fight as a titan."

Petra looked at Levi in shock realization. Yes, Eren hated the titans as much as their captain, but the fact that he now must fight as one himself must be difficult for him. She turned back to Eren with a sad look in her eye.

"Don't pity him Petra." Levi advised, sensing her sadness. "He has accepted this fate as his own. If it meant the end of the titans, he's willing to do and go through anything to make it happen."

Eld smiled and nodded. Petra smiled at them in return, acknowledging they were right. She greatly respected Levi, wanting to develop the courage he had, no matter the circumstance. She wanted to earn his respect, ever since she met him. Levi respected very few individuals but she could already tell, he respected Eren very much.

Levi started to make his way over to him, and began showing him an advanced blade maneuver. In that instance, she vowed within herself that she would protect Eren with her life.

A few minutes passed when all of a sudden, the group heard the sound of a horse's hooves coming closer to their location. They looked and saw a courier. As he came closer, he greeted them and addressed Levi.

"Captain Levi, I have an urgent message. Commander Smith requires your presence in Trost."

Levi asked, "Where is Hange? We were expecting her this morning."

The messenger nodded and said, "This involves her. Something happened to her test subjects."

…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SAWNEY, BEAN, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Hange bawled!

Everyone gathered around, looking at the smoldering remains of the two titans. Eren was truly amazed at the passion Hange had for her work. Apparently she has been crying all morning, and refused to be comforted for the loss.

"It appears a disgruntled soldier took advantage of a security shift change, killing the titans early this morning." said Mike.

Mike, Levi, and Erwin stood off to the side, trying to make sense of why someone would kill the titans.

"It seems so." Erwin admitted, "However, something has been bothering me ever since the battle a few days ago."

This caught Levi's attention. "You think something more is going on here?"

"Perhaps" Erwin answered, "If this truly is a matter of a soldier taking his frustrations out on those two titans, the Military Police's investigation should confirm it rather quickly. However, if no one is found guilty, then it might confirm a theory about the nature of our enemy."

…

At noon, all the soldiers within Trost were gathered together to have their 3DMG examined. It was determined the two titans were killed by direct strikes to their napes. So it is theorized an inspection of the logs within the gear and blade count should yield the culprit.

"Bah, I don't see what all the fuss is about." Connie shrugged off, waiting to have his gear examined. "It was just two worthless titans."

Standing next to him was Armin. He smiled at his friend's carefree nature.

"Say Armin?" Connie called his attention.

"Yeah"

"As you know it's been announced that we will finally have our chance to choose which section of the military we'll join tomorrow. I've considered going into the Survey Corps with Eren, but I guess after what happened here, my doubts started to rise again. Do you think it's a smart move to pass up a job with the MP for the Survey Corps?"

Armin thought for a moment and said, "I don't think smarts have anything to do with it, whichever way you choose. At the end of the day you should be satisfied with the choice you make, and have no regrets."

"I see." Connie sighed. He hoped Armin would choose one over the other, to make it easier on him. He then caught a glimpse of Annie standing next to Armin with her usual blank expression. 'That is right' he thought 'Annie always give straight to the point answers.'

"What about you Annie? In training you seemed to care only about the exercises that were graded. I assume you're choosing the MP route. Should I join to?"

"You have to make your own decision." she said to him, "No one is going to hold your hand. Would you jump off a bridge if I thought you should?"

"No, I guess not." Connie nervously replied. 'Yep, always to the point'

Annie took a glance at Armin and said, "I'm curious Armin, are you still joining the Survey Corps? I remember you and Eren talking about it all the time during our training." Connie looked at Armin with anticipation for his answer.

Armin answered, "Yes, I'm still joining the Survey Corps."

"What, really?" Connie stated in surprise.

"Yeah" Armin assured, "What, you don't think I'm fit?"

Connie struggled to find the right words, not wanting to hurt his feelings. Yet Annie spoke and said, "Are you joining them simply because of Eren? What if they gave you an order that you knew would result in your death? Could you do it?"

Armin mulled it over before saying, "I suppose the right answer should be yes, as a good soldier follows every order. The truth is if I didn't see it beneficial, I wouldn't obey it. In any case, I belong with the Scout Regiment, and no I'm not doing this for Eren. I want freedom just as much as he does, and besides, I have a grudge against the titans. They took away people I care about. No matter how physically weak I am, I can't stay within these walls as a Garrison soldier."

Annie looked at his pain filled eyes, knowing those who he was referring to. She didn't go to the funeral pyre herself. She wouldn't have dared gone, knowing her hand in all this. However, she heard how deeply Armin mourned the lost of his friends and Mina as he stood before the flames. 'Mina' she thought.

*****_"I'm surprised you and Eren aren't paired today. You two always pair up for hand-to-hand drills" said Mina._

_Annie shrugged and said, "He's come a long way in a short time practicing my fighting style, and wanted to test them out with Mikasa. I don't mind."_

_Mina gripped the wooden dagger in her hands and readied herself to attack. This particular drill has been done by the trainees more times then they cared to remember, however, today was the first time Mina paired with Annie._

"_You sure?" Mina laughed._

_Annie prepared to fend off Mina's attack. Studying her face, she asked, "Oh what's going on in that head of yours Mina?"_

_She shook her head and playfully said, "Nothing, nothing. Just thinking that you have feelings for Eren and aren't willing to admit it, thought you will have to fight Mikasa for him. I believe both of you are attracted to him."_

_Annie scoffed and said, "Come now, what makes you think something like that?"_

"_Well for one, you rarely give anyone else the time of day besides Ruth and me, and we have to drag conversation out of you."_

_Mina rushed Annie for a strike. Annie avoided her swing, and dodged a second attempt with calculating precision._

"_HAAAYAAAAAH!"_

_Mina brought down the dagger, aiming at Annie's shoulder. Annie turned her body to the side and caught her wrists. Mina smiled at her friends' firm grip._

"_I respect him, just like everyone else. That's all." Annie spoke._

_She stared at Annie's face from the close proximity and could see her expression was as cool as ever. "Perhaps you adore him." she suggested._

_It was slight, but Mina got the reaction she was looking for. Annie's eyes rose a bit, as if a thought she hadn't considered before crossed her mind._

_Taking advantage, Mina threw her body weight into Annie, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground. Mina moved as quickly as she could and straddled over Annie to pin her._

"_This is my victory!" she shouted. As Mina brought the dagger toward Annie's neck, Mina noticed that she was watching her the whole time. Stopping a couple of inches, Mina asked, "Aren't you going to dodge?"_

"_I'm bored of winning." Annie responded. "I'll let you take this round."_

"_Gee, thanks." Mina giggled._

_She moved off and stood up, also helping Annie back onto her feet. As Annie dusted herself off, Mina looked over toward the other cadets and caught a glimpse of Eren holding his own against Mikasa._

"_You know, you two would look good together. I think he likes you." Mina stated._

"_What?" Annie looked at her in surprise._

_Mina pointed her attention toward him, causing her to become aggravated at the trivial heat that rushed to her head._

"_Come on stop with this Mina. We're simply comrades; we aren't like you and Armin. In any case, I'm not the type of person he would love anyway. In fact if he, or you for that matter, knew the real person that I am, both of you would hate me."_

_Mina turned to her stunned, "Why would you say something like that?"_

_Annie turned toward her, seeing the hurt in her eyes. Annie hated herself for getting too close to these people._

"_I'm sorry." Annie spoke, "I shouldn't have said it. Guess I have a low opinion about myself. Perhaps the truth is, I'm just not a good person."_

_Mina shook her head. "I don't believe that for one second!"_

"_Mina-"_

"_No listen to me Annie. It's not a bad thing that you hide your emotions and feelings. A lot of us wear them on our sleeves, and it tends to get us into trouble almost as many times as it brings us joy. Yet for you, you choose to save them for those who will only bring you joy. That's the quality I like about you the most."_

_Mina grabbed her hands and squeezed them._

"_You're a great person." she continued, "…and I believe Eren sees those qualities in you. He can't stop talking about your training with him at our meal table, so I know. If only he was intelligent like Armin, he would tell you how much he cares for you himself."_

_At this, Annie couldn't help the flushed feeling from appearing on her face._

"_That blush looks weird on you Annie." Mina joked. "Just give him time will ya? Eventually he will come around."_

_Annie snatched her hands away in annoyance and said, "I don't know what you're going on about Mina."_

_Beginning to walk away, Annie said, "I'm done sparring for today. I'm going to hide around the trees from Shadis and wait for this idiotic drill to be over."_

"_Do you mind if I hide with you?" Mina grinned._

_Again annoyed, Annie said, "Only if you can hide in silence."_

_Laughing as they walked, Mina said, "Now when have I ever been able to accomplish such a feat?"…_*****

Annie tore away from Armin's eyes. If she looked any longer, her psyche might break altogether.

"You might not be physically strong Armin" she said, "…but you're very smart and brave. Very few choose to go down a hard path. I respect that very much."

Armin glanced at her and smiled. "Thank you Annie."

Before anything more could be said between the three, the MP examiners began their inspection of Annie's maneuver gear.

They opened each of the blade compartments and studied the log count. Something caught Armin's eye as he looked on the examination before him. He noticed in Annie's gear, there were four notches along the slots used to attach the blade to the detached handles. This made it more efficient for the blade to come through, and eliminated the possibility of jams.

One of the first things a trainee does once they pass the balancing test, is to begin working on their personal maneuver gear. They follow certain standards to make sure they are par for use, but leeway is also allowed to make the owner as comfortable with their gear as possible.

As the examiner finished looking over Annie's gear and clearing her, she remarked, "I must say, the construction of your maneuver gear is quite exceptional. You must be quite the engineer!"

"Thank you." said Annie, receiving the compliment.

Moving on, the examiner began with Armin's gear. Yet Armin's eyes were fixed on Annie's. Annie noticed his gaze and asked, "Is something wrong Armin?"

Not realizing he was still staring, he gave Annie a smile and said, "No, I'm fine. I agree with the inspection officer, your gear is very creative."

Annie nodded and took it up. After being cleared, she was free to go. Watching her leave, Armin thought to himself 'Annie, what are doing with Marco's gear. Those four notches, I remember him showing it to me when we assembled our gear. Annie, did you kill the titans?'

Later that day after the inspection of all soldiers' gear, the results were given to the head officials. With the results in his hands, Commander Smith called for a private meeting with his leading soldiers and captains.

"Commander who was it that killed my precious titans!" Hange begged Erwin.

"Calm down Hange." he insisted, "I'll be addressing that in a moment."

Once everyone settled around the table, Erwin addressed them saying, "As you all know, we are preparing for our next expedition into titan territory next month. The objective will be to use Eren's titan ability to fight and take back Wall Maria."

Turning to Levi he asked, "How are things coming along with his training?"

Levi spoke, "Thanks to Hange we've discovered the process of his transformation. We're yet to work with him on his control. A month's time should be enough for him to learn basic control over his form."

Erwin nodded and stated "Excellent to hear Captain. Major Zoe, I want you to travel with Levi's group and stay with Eren for the time being. With the two titans no longer available for research, I want you to help Eren gain control over his ability."

"Yes Sir." Hange answered.

Erwin took a moment and examined the room around him. He studied the faces of his top officers in Levi, Hange, and Mike. He also looked in the faces of squad members that have been with the Survey Corps as long as he has in Nanaba and Lynne.

To all of them he addressed, "There's a strong possibility we have spies within the ranks of the military that intend to destroy humanity. With them on the loose, they will most likely try to sabotage this upcoming expedition."

Immediately everyone began looking at each other in shock. Erwin chuckled within himself, knowing each person were questioning if he might be referring to some of them within the room.

"No one here is a traitor." he said, calming their thoughts, "However I believe individuals who have joined the military within the last five years are guilty of my said accusation."

"Within the last five years?" Levi questioned, "Do you think this has something to do with the attack on Shiganshina?"

"I do." Erwin answered.

Hange spoke and said, "If that's the case, these intruders may be from the titan worshipping cult. They could have joined the military after the attack. They have gone silent for many years. I imagine that event would have given them new life."

"Yes, that could be a possibility; in fact I would prefer that scenario. Yet it's not likely them. You see I believe these intruders are responsible for the killing of your titans. If they were from the Titan Cult, they would have instead freed them to wreak havoc on the city."

"You're right about that." Hange agreed. "Did the inspection earlier today show the culprit who slain them?"

"No" he answered, "In fact everyone was cleared."

"What!" Hange expressed in shock. "The offender had to have used their maneuver gear to kill them. The material within the blades was designed just for that purpose. Unless…"

"…unless they presented someone else's gear as their own." Levi finished her thought.

Erwin nodded and said, "That's right. The perpetrator could have taken the mobility gear of a fallen soldier either during the battle or during the clean up of the city."

After another pause, Erwin asked the group, "Have you ever thought it strange how the Colossal and Armored Titans appeared five years ago, but disappeared just as quickly once Wall Maria was broken through?"

Soldier Lynne raised her hand and asked, "Sir, what does that have to do with the spies within our ranks? You've already ruled out the possibility of that titan cult being involved."

"Indeed" Erwin acknowledged, "Yet we know the titans only care about one thing, and that is to slay humans. They are relentless in this endeavor, yet the Colossal and Armored Titans aren't driven solely by that instinct at all. If they were like the others, given their strength and ability, we would have been wiped out by now. On the contrary, they disappeared for five years, only to reemerge once more here in Trost and disappear again."

Mike stated, "Except this time when the Colossal breached the outer gate, the Armored Titan was nowhere to be found."

"Yes, for some reason the Armored Titan didn't show up to break through the inner gate of Wall Rose."

Levi looked at the commander and declared, "You're referring to Eren's transformation."

Erwin smiled at Levi for catching on to his thoughts. "That's right Levi. I believe Eren's transformation affected the Armored Titan's decision to break through the inner gate. With that in mind, now that we know Eren can transform into a titan, perhaps the Colossal and Armored Titans are shifters as well."

Hange began shaking her head in disbelief and uttered, "Forgive me Sir, but even though this theory fits certain aspects, at the same time it seems implausible with others. For one, it's assumed only Eren's father knows how to give someone the ability to change into a titan, assumed to be received by some liquid formula or pill."

"You assume too much Hange." Levi contradicted, "You know what that would make us."

Some of the members chuckled at Hange's expression at Levi's words. Erwin spoke and said, "No, you're both right. It could be the Colossal and Armored Titans are simply a special category of titan altogether, just like the abnormal. Nonetheless, it is almost certain there are spies within our ranks, and we can't rule out the slim possibility they are shifters."

Erwin motioned for one of his assistants to bring him a map detailing the walls and the territory behind them. As he laid it in front of the group, he began to speak saying, "We will continue the expedition as planned to retake Wall Maria. However should an intelligent titan show up, whether it is the Armored or Colossal, our objective will then become to trap it."

He continued to explain the intricate details on how this would be accomplished.

…

The next day, Armin stood in formation with the rest of his class. This would be the last time they would be together as a unit, as today they will choose their branch within the military. He glanced over at Annie, still having a hard time believing the possibility of her slaying the two titans.

'Even so' he determined within himself 'I can certainly understand why she did it. They killed our loves ones and quite frankly I might have done the same thing if given the opportunity.'

In that moment, a military official stood before the group and greeted them.

"Good morning soldiers of the 104th. Today you will become apart of one of the three divisions: The Survey Corps, Garrison, and only the top ten will have the option to choose the Military Police. Now then, a member from each division will present their case for you to join their branch. At the end of their presentation, those who choose to join be sure to raise your hand and step forward in the open. Without further delay, the first presentation will be of the Survey Corps."

Stepping aside, all of sudden Commander Smith himself stood before the group. This surprised Armin, though he reasoned he shouldn't be too shocked the commander would make the case to join the Scouts himself. After all they went through this past week it may take him to beg on his knees for anyone to join.

"Good morning 104th regiment. My name is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps. Today I ask humbly for you consideration to join us. As you know, of the three branches, this is the most difficult one to take part in. Statistics state for those who join the Scouting Legion, over 60% die within their first year. All of you have witness the horror of the titans first hand."

Some of the soldiers began shaking, thinking about their experiences in fighting the titans that invaded Trost. Just about all of them never saw a titan before that time, and afterwards, many still have trouble sleeping at night for fear their dreams will show all the bodies that were left in the titans' wake.

"Look around" Erwin continued, "I imagine some of your classmates you graduated with are no longer with us. This is what it's like to be a member within the Corps. However, I'm here to tell you for the first time in humanity's history, we have an edge in this war. Your classmate, Soldier Eren Yeager, was instrumental in gaining mankind's very first victory against the titans. I'm told he has been very inspirational to all of you throughout the years."

Out among the 104th, Jean listened to the commander's words. For the longest he ridiculed Eren for his beliefs and couldn't wait to join the Military Police. Yet Marco's death opened his eyes to how selfish he's been. He looked over toward Mikasa standing a few rows over to his left, and made his own promise that he would protect his friends no matter what.

"This brings us to the present. Eren will play a vital role in regaining Wall Maria, similar to how he helped us seal off Rose. Our next expedition will take place in a month, and that will be our objective. Unlike the vast lands beyond the walls, we will have a much better chance in battling the titans within our own backyard of Maria territory. Once we've accomplished that task, we will recover research within the basement of Eren's home. That is where his father has studied the titans' physiology and gave Eren his abilities. With that information, we will have the upper hand over the titans and finally begin down the road of ridding them forever."

Finished speaking, Erwin stepped back and the official once again took the floor and announced, "All those who will join the Survey Corps, make your presence known and step forward."

For a moment, everyone seemed hesitant to be the first to raise their hand. Armin considered in himself why the commander would announce information concerning Eren's basement to them, though again he considered he shouldn't be too surprised.

Mikasa confidently raised her hand and stepped out in front of the group. Hushed gasps rose as most of them realized the number one student of their class chose to join the Scouts. Armin smiled. Raising his hand, he joined her side.

Slowly but surely, a few more began to join them. Among those were Sasha, Connie, Krista, Ymir, Reiner, and Bertolt. As if Armin wasn't shocked enough this morning, to his true surprise, he witness Jean stepping forward and joining at their side.

"Jean?" Armin questioned.

Jean looked at him and gave him a nod of assurance.

After a few more minutes passed by and hands stop going up, the official turned toward Erwin and nodded. Erwin returned his appreciation and stood before his new soldiers. In all, 21 soldiers chose to join the Survey Corps.

"All of you have my sincerest gratitude for choosing the Survey Corps. If you will follow me, I will lead you to your new stations."

With that, Erwin began to lead them away. The newest scouts took one last look at their friends as the military official introduced the representative from the Garrison Unit. As he passed by, Armin suddenly thought of something.

He looked upon the 20 members not including himself, and realized everyone within the top ten besides Annie had join the Survey Corps. With Marco dying, it meant Annie would be the only member of their class to enter the Military Police. Looking back, Armin felt bad for her. Before Eren got to know her and introduced them to her, she was always seen alone. Now once again, she was alone.

Later on, the Military Police representative got his chance to present his case, even though he felt it was pointless to begin with. To his astonishment, once he stood in front, all he saw was one individual.

He asked the official, "Where are the other nine soldiers?"

"They all joined the Survey Corps to my recollection." he answered, "This class' number one student was actually the very first soldier to choose the Scouts out of them all."

"What?" stated the bewildered MP Representative. He thought to himself 'This must be one crazy bunch of soldiers.'

He turned to look at the one before him, Annie, whose eyes unblinkingly stared him down, waiting for him to address her.

"Haha, so, you're the only one to join the MP?" he stated, finding himself somewhat intimidated by the young woman. Her eyes shifted to the side, acknowledging she indeed is the only one.

"Well" he continued, "If you have no questions, we'll be leaving for Mithras. There you will begin your service to King Fritz. Congratulations on your admittance to the Military Police Brigade."

"Thank you Sir." Annie answered, and followed him toward the direction of the inner gate.

…

Over the next few weeks, Eren trained hard to control his urges within titan form. After transforming a few times within the dry well using the pain of his losses as motivation, he learned to recognize those around him.

He allowed Levi's squad to cut off the fingers of his form, to test how quickly they regenerated. Fortunately for Eren, he felt no pain in the process, and his fingers grew back within seconds each time. Hange then instructed the group to cut through Eren's arm, and noticed it took a little longer for his arm to regenerate. Even though his healing ability was quicker than normal titans, it still followed some of the restraints in the time it took to heal bigger injuries.

Moving on, Levi and the rest tested his transformation above ground. With Eren still able to recognize his comrades, they began asking him to perform certain tasks, to see if he understood complex commands.

At first he had difficulty moving his body. Eren noticed without the struggle of carrying a giant boulder above his head or being trapped in the well, moving the body required more effort than he realized.

Watching him move slowly, Hange remarked to Levi, "It seems everything about this form deals with his will. The shifter must have a strong will to assume complete control."

Once he had good control in his movements, they took him within the forest to practice his combat skills. Rarely was Levi impressed with anything, but after watching Eren kick and punch through a couple of trees, he could see why he was able to bring down so many titans in Trost.

"Well I'll be damned." Gunther commented. "This plan to retake Wall Maria may actually work. The power Eren possesses is beyond words."

Eld agreed saying, "His father must have been an absolute genius to have found a way to harness the power of the titans."

Listening to their conversation, Petra looked on as Eren continued to clear the forest at will. Remembering what Levi said about Eren's will to fight as a human, she mused 'Hopefully you won't have to transform often.'

Levi motioned to Hange, letting her know to instruct Eren to remain still so they can cut him from the nape. After freeing him and bringing him to the ground, Hange said, "You did great Eren. You've learned to maintain good control over your form and I think you're ready to put your work to real use."

Eren gave her a weak smile, being exhausted from his workout.

"Get your rest Eren." Levi spoke. "In another couple of days, we will leave for Karanese District. There we will meet up with the commander and prepare for our attempt to restore Wall Maria."

…

Deep within Mithras, Annie finished her duties for the day and headed toward her room to change in more casual clothing. She often heard Jean going on and on about the luxury experienced within the MP, and after staying inside Mithras for some weeks, he was certainly justified in what he said. There was enough space in her room alone to comfortably fit 20 horses and wagons inside of it.

The entire MP complex was a thing of wonder, but she had no time to wonder. The only thing she cared about was completing her mission, and returning home. For the past two weeks, she did some private research surrounding the king's background and family. Not totally to her surprise, there wasn't much of anything recorded. Over her past five years of living inside these walls, she's come to know talking about the past is considered to be a crime, especially talking on the creation of the walls and life before that time.

Taking off her uniform jacket and shirt, she put on her casual sweatshirt. Leaving her room, she ran into a MP soldier staying in the room across from her.

"Well well, if it isn't the hardest working soldier in the MP finally looking to take a break from her duties." she stated with a sly grin.

Hitch Dreyse was someone Annie had come to tolerate these past weeks. As usual she wore an expensive dress, ready to go out for another night on the town. Ignoring her comment, Annie began to walk past her and toward the courtyard.

"Hey" Hitch called, "Why don't we hang out tonight? Who knows, perhaps we can meet some guys and have a good time before our unit leaves for Stohess in a few days."

"I can't." Annie responded, "I have other plans."

Hitch lit up at this and said, "Really, like what? Maybe I will tag along if it sounds interesting."

Stopping, Annie sighed and blankly stated, "I'm going to the cathedral."

"Wow, that's definitely not interesting." she remarked with disappointment. "You know, I never figured you to be a wall worshiper. It must be tough being here in the midst of us heathens."

Annie nodded and said, "Yes, I must go be among my people."

Laughing again, Hitch said, "Have fun!" and turned to leave for the night life. Watching her go, Annie had to remind herself to never become close with anyone living in these walls again. Turning around, she left the barracks and headed toward her destination.

Putting two and two together, the only organization that even refers to the past in any way was the Wall Cult. They also seem to have a relationship with the royal family, as all of their leadership was of nobility. After walking a few blocks in the city, she came upon the most extravagant place of worship for Mithras' Wall Cultists.

Upon opening the door, she was greeted by ushers.

"Good evening young one!" one said, "Will you be joining us for tonight's prayer service?"

Instead of answering his question, Annie asked, "May I speak with your head pastor?"

They exchanged curious looks with one another before another inquired, "To what do you wish to speak with him about? If it concerns our ministry, we can answer your question for you."

"I have a question concerning the creation of the Walls?" she stated.

"Ah, you're interested in the glory of Sina, Maria, and Rose!" an usher lit up. "Allow me to tell you. A long time ago the gods looked on mankind and-"

"As it relates to the royal family" Annie interrupted. "I have knowledge the true savior of mankind was an ancestor."

In that moment, the ushers' eyes grew wide and their mouths were silenced. Annie didn't know for sure if the original holder of the Coordinate was related to the royal family, but their silence confirmed it for her. It also confirmed the Wall Cult have secret knowledge concerning the history of the royal family.

"Y-yes, we'll direct you to his office." one, who Annie assumed must be the lead usher, finally managed to say. "Right this way."

She was lead up a set of stairs to a large set of double doors. Knocking on it twice, the doors open and was answered by a servant.

The usher stated, "There is someone here to see Pastor Frederick. She personally knows secrets concerning the Walls."

Annie noticed a similar reaction on the servant's face as the ushers before. Without delay, the servant went inside and Annie could hear frantic mumblings. After a few minutes, the servant came back to them and motioned for her to come in.

Once inside, Annie got a view of a relatively younger man than she expected, early 30s perhaps even late 20s, sitting behind a desk fit for a king.

Once his servant left and closed the door, he spoke and said, "I'm Pastor Frederick. I'm told you wished to speak with me?"

Annie nodded and said, "Yes, I have a few questions concerning the royal family."

"Indeed, but before that, would you care to tell me your name?"

Annie paused, thinking it might be better to give him a fake name, but before she could speak, a voice from the corner of the room answered for her.

"Her name is Annie Leonhart, a freshly recruited soldier of the Military Police."

Briefly shocked, her eyes narrowed as a figure stepped into the light. It was a man wearing a black suit and black pants. The bowler hat he wore cast a faint shadow over his eyes.

Sensing the question in her mind, he answered, "I'm also of the Military Police, but operate within a different division. We know about all those who join the MP Brigade, for our own purposes."

"I see." Annie responded. Something told her this guy was here to eliminate her if she knew too much about the history of mankind. She would have to play her cards right to avoid conflict.

Frederick cleared his throat and said, "Now then, Annie, tell us what you know concerning the royal family and the creation of the Walls. Also tell us how you came by this information."

"I'll tell you what I know." she answered, "However, how I came by this knowledge isn't important. I assure you, no one within the Walls told me, and I don't intend to tell anyone outside of here what I know. I share your desire to keep secrets."

The pastor shared a look with the man in the suit, before he nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"To my knowledge" she began, "Walls Sina, Rose, and Maria were created by a person of immense power, the power to control the titans. He used it to control a special set of titans, and had them create the walls while at the same time entrapping themselves inside."

Frederick appeared stunned at how much she knew, even about the presence of the titans inside the Walls.

"What I wanted to ask you" Annie moved on, "Is whether or not this person who used his power to create the walls, was related to the royal family in any way, if not the patriarch himself?"

Folding his hands on his desk and leaning forward, Frederick spoke and said, "You certainly know a lot about the Walls. It makes me even more curious as to who told you. Yet as you said, you have a propensity in keeping secrets, something we share as an organization."

Getting up from his chair, he walked over and looked her in the eyes.

"I'll tell you the information you desire, but in exchange you must join the First Interior Squad."

Annie blinked. "The First Interior Squad?"

She glanced back over to the man in the black suit. Pastor Frederick followed her gaze and said, "Yes, the same division the he works under. They are involved in working closely with the king and ensuring the people within our territory are kept under control. So then, what do you say? Will you join?"

'A division dealing with controlling the people' Annie thought. 'Why am I not surprised of its existence?'

Thinking refusing to join would bring about confrontation, Annie nodded her head. In the end it didn't make any difference to her once she finds what she's after.

"Perfect." Frederick announced, "For now you will continue to serve as a regular MP soldier until our king officially promotes you. Now to your question, yes, the creator of these walls is the patriarch of the royal family. It was he who also created this religious establishment. It is truly him and his family that we worship."

As she took in the information, Frederick walked over to the window to look out on the magnificent view of the city.

"I'm curious." she started to ask, "This power the patriarch possessed, has it been passed on to his children?"

Frederick turned around to meet her gaze. The First Interior squad member also raised his eyebrows to her question.

"Yes" he finally answered, "In fact it's been passed down to every generation since."

Annie lowered her gaze in thought. 'So you're not the Coordinate, are you Eren?'

"Yet five years ago, something happened. It was stolen." Frederick pointed out.

"Stolen?"

Now her interests were roused. If the Coordinate was no longer with the royal family, chances are Eren's dad was the one who stole it. Which meant Eren was indeed the new Coordinate.

"Five years ago" Frederick recalled, "A man burst into the royal chapel, stealing the sacred power and disappeared into the night. No one knows where he went after that. Since that time we have sent out teams to search for him, but he is yet to be found."

"Interesting" said Annie, "Do you happen to know who the man is by chance?"

"Yes, we do." Frederick answered, eyes beginning to narrow. "His name is Grisha Yeager."

Annie fought hard not to let on to her feeling of confirmation. Seeing her clamor up, he continued to say, "Grisha to was a man who held many secrets. As you yourself know he is now famous for turning his son into a titan, of course it wasn't until recently we knew he even had a son. For some reason Grisha also knew about the secrets of the royal family. Perhaps he found out about it the same way you did."

Annie nodded, trying not to come across as too suspicious. "Perhaps. Do you think his son might know where he took the power?"

"It's more than likely he does." Frederick confirmed. "Now then, Miss Leonhart, you've been privileged with information that very few of our own members know of. I trust you will keep what you've learned to yourself. We expect many great things from you once you become a full fledged member of the First Interior Squad."

Annie bowed and said, "Thank you for answering my questions."

Nodding, Frederick snapped his fingers, and a servant opened the doors. Taking one last bow, Annie followed the servant out and left the premises. Pastor Frederick watched from his window as she headed out.

"You don't think you've told her too much?" asked the Interior squad member.

"No, I trust her to keep it to herself." Frederick answered. "I believe she will be very valuable to us in finding out how Grisha was able to know about the hidden power of the royal family. There's a lot that is unknown concerning our full history. Only the possessor of this power knows everything."

…

Seven days from the launch of the 57th expedition, the Survey Corps arrived in Karanese for preparation.

Having some free time from his work, Armin decided to make a visit to a family he needed to meet.

"Thanks for coming with me Mikasa, I appreciate your support." he told her.

"Anytime Armin." she said, "I also want to meet her family, and let them know how much she meant to us."

Based on the directions they were given, they came upon a house that to Mikasa looked remarkably similar to Eren's old house.

Taking a deep breath, Armin walked up to the door and knocked. It opened after a few moments and they were greeted by a tall man with dark hair.

"Good afternoon Sir. My name is Armin Arlert. Here with me is Mikasa Ackerman and we've come from the Survey Corps to offer our condolences on the loss of your daughter Mina."

Looking at him, Armin continued, "In fact, it was because of me that she died."

"Armin" Mikasa called.

"No Mikasa, let me say this." he pleaded. Turning back to the man, Armin explained all that happened the day Trost was attacked, how he led the group his daughter fought with, and how he stood by paralyzed at the sight of her in the clutches of a titan.

"So you see Sir, if only I was brave at the time, she might still be alive today. I'm so sorry." Armin finished.

The man looked on him for a moment before putting a hand on his shoulder, causing Armin to meet his gaze.

"You said your name is Armin Arlert?" He asked

"Yes Sir." Armin answered.

He turned toward Mikasa and said, "…and your Mikasa Ackerman." She nodded in response.

Smiling, he spoke to them and said, "Yes, we received many letters from Mina speaking of both of you and those she met in training over the years. I'm so happy both of you are safe."

A look of surprise crossed Armin's face, thinking Mina's father would hate him for not protecting her. Suddenly he called into the house, "Lora dear, come meet the friends of Mina."

"Mr. Carolina, forgive for asking but, I don't understand." Armin uttered, "Why aren't you mad with me? I let Mina die and didn't do anything to stop it. I deserve to be hated by you right?"

Mina's father shook his head and said, "You did what you could. There's no one to blame for my daughter's death except the titans."

"But-but Sir…"

"You know she told us how much she cared for you. Often times she wrote how much she missed us, but that you made her time at the academy wonderful. I thank you Armin, for being with her in her last moments."

Mina's father then brought him in for a strong embrace. Armin couldn't help but let tears flow freely. "Thank you Sir! I promise my friends and I will carry her memory with us forever."

Just as they let go, a woman with dark hair and blue eyes appeared at the door along with a small boy in her arms.

"Ah let me introduce you two to my wife." Mr. Carolina smiled. "This is Lora and the little one is Mina's brother, Barret. My name is Edward." He then turned to his wife and said, "Honey, these are Mina's friends from the academy, Armin and Mikasa."

"Nice to finally meet the both of you." said Lora. Barret shyly sucked his thumb and said, "Nice to meet you."

Mikasa smiled at the youngling and said, "It's nice to meet you as well."

Everyone laughed as Barret became even shyer and tried to hide his face in his mother's shoulder.

"Ah don't mind him. He tends to be somewhat hesitant in meeting others compared to his sister at this age" Lora told Mikasa. "He was born a year before she left for the academy. Mina loved him so much."

Edward comforted his wife as she began to tear up. Turning toward Mikasa and Armin he said, "Come in, we were just about to have lunch. We have plenty of meal for the both of you."

They spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying each other's company and recalling memories they've shared with Mina. Lora commented that she saw why Mina fell in love with Armin, while Mikasa played with Barret, tossing a ball back and forth with him. She could tell sports and fitness ran in Mina's family.

As the sun finally began to set and the young Barret fell asleep, the two young soldiers bid their farewells as they prepared to head back to base.

"Oh before I go, I wanted give you something." Armin told them. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a bracelet made with pebbles. Handing it to Edward, he said, "Mina originally made that for me, but I want you to have it. She told me she dabbled in the arts and crafts, so I want her parents to have the last thing she made."

Edward held up the bracelet in front of his wife, and instantly their eyes began to water.

"I taught her how to make these when she was little." Lora stated, "The very first one she made by herself, she gave to her father on his birthday."

Wiping away her tears, she looked at Armin and asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." he comforted, "She meant the world to me, and I want to do anything I can to console her family."

Lora smiled as her husband handed her the bracelet. She again turned to Armin and told him, "Thank you Armin. You have no idea how much this means to us."

He smiled at them, giving them a nod of assurance. With that, he started to walk away. Mikasa waved to them and began to follow. Edward shared a glance with his wife, and both looked at a wooden box on the top shelf close to the door.

Down the road, Mikasa couldn't help but smile at Armin's compassion.

"I know it wasn't easy to let go of the bracelet she made for you. You're very kind Armin." she said.

He replied, "I promise to protect them Mikasa. That's why we must succeed in winning this battle against the titans."

Before they traveled far away, they turned to the sound of Mina's father calling out to them.

"Hey Armin, Mikasa, we want you to have something to!"

Once he caught up to them, he held out the wooden box. Armin took it and opened it up, revealing handwritten letters inside. Instantly, Armin knew what he was handed.

"No, Mr. Carolina we can't take this. These were written for you." Armin argued.

Edward shook his head and said, "We want you guys to have them. Mina wrote to us about her hopes and dreams. She wrote about you, her friends, and how much she was inspired to join the Survey Corps."

Armin looked hesitantly at the open box in his hands, eyes shaking at the thought of reading her words and feeling the emotion in them. To read them, he knew it would make him feel as though she was still alive.

"I want you to share them with your fellow soldiers of your training squad and the rest of the Survey Corps." said Edward, "Inspire them to not be afraid and to fight for what you hold dear. Can you do that for me Armin?"

Holding back any tears that threatened to fall from his face, Armin looked in his eyes and confirmed, "Yes Sir. I will do it. These letters will be a treasure to us!"

"Thank you again." Edward proudly stated. He embraced both Armin and Mikasa, seeing them as though they were his children. A pang of guilt crept into his heart, feeling sorrow that such young individuals were going to fight against the titans. Yet they were mature enough and went through the training. "I want the both of you to look after each other and survive this war."

"We will." they said in unison. After saying their final goodbyes, they left for the day, promising to return soon.

…

With most of the preparation completed for the expedition, Levi's Special Operation Squad arrived in Karanese three days before the launch. Hange left a little earlier, to give her report on Eren's progress.

Even though he gained more control over his titan abilities, Eren figured they still wanted to keep him somewhat isolated from everyone else. Indeed, he was feeling a little like the monster the MP pegged him to be.

Yet as they dismounted from their horses, by chance Eren caught a glimpse of his friends standing among other soldiers. Mikasa, Armin, Connie, Sasha, and a couple of others from his former trainee squad were all there across the street from where they were.

Eren turned and asked, "Captain Levi is it okay if I go talk with my friends for a moment? They're right over there."

Levi followed his gaze and spotted the same two soldiers he seen that day of Eren's trial hearing. One Rico told him carried the "Ackerman" name, spiking his interest. Figuring it would be alright as they weren't far, he nodded and Eren jogged off to them.

As he got closer, Eren called out saying, "Hey everyone! How are you all doing?"

"Eren, you're alright!" Mikasa answered in surprise to see him.

Standing before them, Eren laughed and said, "Sure I am Mikasa. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Considering how that guy took enjoyment out of kicking you, I was afraid they might have experimented on you. Where is he by the way? If he has done anything to you…"

Mikasa looked around and spotted him across the street looking in their direction. She narrowed her eyes as their gaze met, letting him know she wasn't intimidated by him in the slightest.

"Hey Mikasa don't stare at him." Eren urged, "He's a good guy once you get to know him." The group started to chuckle at this.

Connie approached Eren and said, "Man it's good to see you. With you here it's giving me more confidence about the decision I made to join the Survey Corps."

"Thanks Connie." replied Eren, "Even though it was a tougher road to get here than we all expected. A lot of our friends died in Trost, and I won't let it be for nothing."

Looking around, he noticed many of the top ten of their class have joined the Survey Corps. Mikasa, Reiner, Bertolt, Connie, Sasha, Krista, and himself were all present.

"Wow, it looks like most the top graduates are here. That means Annie, Jean, and Marco joined the Military Police eh?"

Eren smiled to himself and thought of Annie. 'Wait for me Annie. It won't be easy, but with the help of our friends, we'll succeed on the battlefield and eliminate the titans. On that day, I'll return to you.' Finishing his thoughts, he noticed the sad looks on everyone's faces.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. Suddenly, a dark notion entered his mind. 'Did something happen to them? Did something happen to Annie?'

"Marco's dead." a familiar voice from behind answered him.

"What?" Eren spoke softly. Turning around he was shocked to see the person standing behind him was none other than Jean.

"That's right." Jean confirmed, "He died in the retaking of Trost. The sad thing is nobody knew he was gone until a little later. We figure he took on a titan by himself, and was torn in half."

For a moment, Eren stood speechless. Then he finally opened his mouth saying, "I don't understand. He wanted to join the MP. Why didn't he play it safer and scale the rooftops?"

"Are you saying he should have been a coward and run away?" Jean sternly asked him.

"No, I…"

Jean relaxed from Eren, knowing he didn't mean anything bad by his question.

"Listen Eren, Marco told me before he died, he was going to join the Survey Corps."

This caught the whole group by surprise. Armin expressed their sentiments and questioned, "I thought Marco was adamant in being able to serve the king? What changed his mind?"

Jean chuckled at him and motioned his hand toward Eren, "Is it that shocking? He changed his mind after listening to Eren's preaching. It seems he convince a lot of us."

Eren stood there looking at the group before him. He suddenly realized they were all here due to the things he said at the academy, his pride of taking the titans down and his critical view of those who wished to run away from them. "He died because of me." he whispered.

"No Eren, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault." Mikasa told him. She looked at Jean and gave him the 'leave him alone for now' look.

Jean received her look, but went on to say, "Ultimately she's right. The choice Marco made was his alone. Yet Eren, you told us the titans could be defeated and you inspired us to hope. Don't ever go back on those words!"

Eren met his gaze, to which Jean turned and began to walk away.

"Jean!" exclaimed Eren, causing him to stop. "Tell me, why are you here? Didn't you want to be safe within the interior? Why are you choosing to fight the titans?"

It almost came across as if he was pleading for Jean to return to his former choice of being a MP soldier.

Jean looked up toward the sky and said, "Marco believed you were right. I can't say if you are or not, but, I chose to carry on his belief in you. I also know for every titan I can bring down, perhaps I can save another one of my friends."

With that, he walked away, leaving Eren and the rest to mull over what he said. Eventually, Armin went over to Eren and put his arm around him.

"Come on, Jean believes in you, we all do." he said. "We have to continue to move on no matter how hard things get."

"Yeah, you're right Armin." Eren nodded.

"Hey Eren"

Eren turned to see Ymir with a playful look on her face. "Yeah" he answered her.

"I'm curious as to where you've been all this time. I'm dying to know what it feels like for you to be a titan."

"That's right" Reiner chimed in, "We heard the Scouting Legion are planning to use your abilities as a weapon. Can you even control it yet?"

"Well" Eren began, "I can't give specifics as to where I've been, they wanted to keep me pretty isolated from you guys. In fact my time with you is probably running out as we speak and I'll have to rejoin Captain Levi soon. Yet as to my abilities, I've gotten better control over them and may have gotten stronger from a strength standpoint if you can believe that. To answer your question Ymir, a lot of strain is put on my body while I'm attached to my titan, so I can't stayed transformed for longer than a couple of hours before I'm exhausted. However, I should be good enough to seal up Wall Maria."

"Interesting" Ymir nodded.

Connie laughed and said, "It's rare you find anything interesting, huh Ymir?"

"That's not true." she told him, "I find your lack of intelligence pretty fascinating."

"How about you say that to my face?" he barked!

Krista shook her head, "Come on guys. Let's not fight. It's our first time seeing Eren in a while and we should be catching up."

Eren chuckled, "Haha, you guys are still the same."

He then noticed something was off as he looked at Reiner. Usually he would jump in and instigate Connie and Ymir's war of words. However not only did he pass that up, but it appeared he looked a little pale.

"Reiner, are you alright man?" Eren asked. "You're not looking all that great. Are you falling ill?"

Reiner glanced at him and put on a smile. "Yeah I'm fine." he assured, "I guess it's just these damn nerves of mine. I'll be 100% once we're finally out there retaking Maria. It will be great to reclaim my home."

'That's right' Eren thought 'Reiner lost his home in the territory behind Wall Maria. He was one of the few who shared my sentiments concerning the titans from day one.'

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Eren spoke and said, "We will succeed and get our land back!"

Bertolt observed as Reiner nodded and reached out to shake Eren's hand in agreement. Over the past few days, he noticed what Eren was able to catch on to. He knew it wouldn't be long before his friend had a breakdown. They needed to wrap their time in human territory up quickly.

…

After another day of completing her duties, Annie returned to her room to rest. A couple of days ago, her unit arrived in Stohess. Here, the rooms weren't as big and the luxury wasn't as appealing. Not that she cared, but to her dismay, she now had to share a room with her partner Hitch.

Upon opening the door, she realized Hitch wasn't there.

'Out at the clubs again' Annie mused. 'Well, at least I can get some rest.'

Walking over to safely store away her rifle, she noticed the window in their room was wide open. She also caught a glimpse of maneuver gear on the table and the uniform of the Survey Corps next to it.

Sensing a familiar presence, she asked, "What has happened?"

"I know it's sudden, but we can't afford to wait anymore." said a voice from the corner of the room. "Reiner is starting to slip; we must act now and get him home."

Out from the corner, Bertolt stepped into the light coming from the window. He wore a hood and cloak to cover his form.

"You were right about what you said before." he continued, "We got too close and developed a bond with everyone. Now he is struggling within himself to do what needs to be done."

"You two did get too close" Annie agreed, "…but so did I. I can understand how he's feeling."

Bertolt became a little stunned to hear these words from her.

Not wanting to get too far off track, he spoke again and said, "Tomorrow we leave for Wall Maria on a mission to seal it. According to our briefing, Eren's group will be in the right column of our formation. Annie, I hate to lean so much on you. I know you're strong, and that is what I admire about you most. I-"

"You don't have to say any more Bertolt. I will capture Eren and we can leave this place. I've completed my research in the capitol, and I'm certain he has the Coordinate. I can't stand Reiner, that idiot, but we are the same. I'll get us home."

"Annie…I…" Bertolt struggled to say. He wanted to tell her his true feelings, but now wasn't the time. "Thank you Annie."

She glanced back at him, and watched as he disappeared before her eyes in a flash of steam. Turning back to the equipment and uniform he left her on the table, resolve crossed her face.

'I'm coming Eren. Please forgive me for what I will do.'


	6. Open Season

The rights of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama, its creator.

*******_text_***** **\- indicates a flashback and/or dream sequence

… - indicates a change of pace and/or a change of scenery

**Chapter 6: Open Season**

Early in the morning, before the sun gave its first beam of light, the faithful soldiers of the Scouting Regiment made their final preparations for the long journey that awaited them in the coming hours.

In the rush, Mikasa got a glimpse of Eren's team saddling up their horses. Taking a moment to slip away from her group, she made her way over to him.

"Eren" she called as she approached.

Gunther caught sight of her and started to move to turn her away, but Levi stopped him. He told him it was alright, and Gunther nodded, letting her through.

Eren moved to greet her and asked, "Mikasa shouldn't you be preparing with your team? You can get in trouble by wandering around."

She nodded, "I know. I just wanted to tell you to be safe out there. This mission could take weeks or more to complete, so I don't know when I'll be able to speak with you again like this."

"I'll be alright." he encouraged her. "I'm being accompanied by a team made of the best titan slayers in the Survey Corps. Plus if push comes to shove, I can use my ability to transform as a trump card."

Not entirely sure about it all, she simply nodded again. Turning around, Mikasa walked up to Levi having a somber expression on her face. He met her gaze with one of question.

"Everyone here may see Eren as a monster." she began, "Yet he's one of the few family I have left. He means so much to me. I can't bare the thought of losing him."

"Mikasa" Eren breathed out. Mikasa glanced at him, and then turned back to Levi.

"Can I trust you to protect him?" she asked.

Levi didn't immediately respond, silently admiring the bond she shares with the young man. It reminded him of friends he cared for long ago, when they first joined the Survey Corps.

"You doubt the captain's ability young soldier?" Oluo objected. Walking up to her, Oluo spoke, "As you should know, Captain Levi is the strongest soldier in the Survey Corps. He's more than capable of protecting your friend from any titan onslaught.

Oluo placed a hand on Mikasa's shoulder, but immediately drew back when she shot him a fierce glare. Levi laughed inwardly, seeing she was definitely an Ackerman.

"You have my word" said Levi, "I will protect him from danger and bring him back safely."

Mikasa looked in his eyes. Seeing no falter in them, she said, "Thank you."

Before she left to return to her group, Eren called out to her and said, "Mikasa you be careful out there as well. At the end of this mission, we'll have retained our home once again."

She smiled at him saying, "Definitely."

Watching her go, Eren never thought he would be so happy as to be in Shiganshina again. He always dreamed of going beyond the Walls, and hated living in that city all his life. Yet now, he couldn't wait to see it again and rebuild it.

…

…

…

Around noon, the large factions of Corps soldiers were gathered in front of the outer gate and along the street leading up to it. The crowd to see them off was unusually small, however the people of Karanese weren't used to expeditions leaving from their gate.

Eren looked out among the people and found two small children discussing how cool they looked. 'Some things never change.' he thought with a smile.

Up above, members of the Garrison gave the thumbs up, signaling there were no titans in the vicinity of the gate and were prepared to lift it.

One of the section leaders sounded off, "Alright everyone look alive! In the next few moments the 57th expedition of the Survey Corps will begin!"

As the rest of the section leaders finished calling their squads to attention, Commander Erwin signaled to the Garrison officers to lift the gate. When it was fully opened, Erwin reared his horse and shouted, "Forward!"

Everyone followed the commander out of the gate, galloping through the outskirts of a village just on the other side. Once they reached opened land, they would then proceed to split into long distance formation. Many sections spread across a wide array of land to better detect and avoid unnecessary battles with titans using colored smoke flares. If all goes smoothly, they won't have to stop until they reach Shiganshina.

Continuing through the village, they caught sight of a ten meter titan. It took notice of the large convoy and began moving in. Those among the cover team immediately engaged the beast in a fierce battle.

Sasha yelped as the titan smashed through a building in an attempt to grab one of them. Riding along side her, her squad leader placed his hand on her head and directed her attention to what was in front of her.

"Don't worry about what's going on behind you. That is the first response team's job." he told her. "You focus on your duty and continue forward."

Being that this was the rookies' first expedition, they were placed among those with the care of handling the extra horses and relaying messages. Should anyone lose their horse on the battle field, they would be sitting ducks.

Having finally reached open land, Commander Erwin gave the signal for them to branch out and enter long distance formation. Many of the rookies wished their teammates well as they moved out. Eren's group came up far behind the pack, as they stayed in the center of the formation.

All went relatively quite, traveling for several kilometers to the southwest, heading toward the outer edge of Trost district. At the rate they were headed, they would reach Trost's outer gate within a few hours.

Within the inner left flank, Sasha passed by a row of abandoned houses. Unbeknown to her, a titan lurked behind them. Its presence went undetected by the left flank of spotters. In an instant it jumped out, lunging for her. She managed to direct her horse away in time to avoid the initial charge, but the titan continued for her, crawling at around the same speed as her horse could carry her.

In panic, Sasha dropped a red flare that would signal the presence of a titan.

"Blouse!" her squad leader called out to her. His second command riding along with him fired off a red flare.

"It's after me!" Sasha screamed in panic.

"It's moving too fast to outrun." said the second in command to the squad leader.

"Your right, we have to try and distract it from Blouse." he responded. Cupping his mouth with his hand, he shouted, "Blouse, try leading it in our direction!"

Sasha frantically nodded, and began turning toward their path. The titan made another attempt for Sasha, narrowly missing her again. It then caught sight of the other two members, and began following them due to two meals being better than one.

The squad leader pointed up ahead to an area near a small cabin and the second in command nodded, understanding his intention. The two traveled close together, giving the titan a single target reference between them.

Coming just in range to make a reach for them, they suddenly split off to the left and right, leaving the titan confused as it collided face first into a tree.

Sasha watched the whole scene play out in wonder, seeing the coordinated experience of the veteran soldiers. As they rode up to her, her squad leader said, "Come on, get back into formation. That titan has worn itself out for the time being so let's move before it comes back."

…

…

…

Within the top-center right flank, Armin kept pace with his squad leader Dita Ness and teammate Luke Siss. While at the academy, he and his fellow cadets trained intensely in the use of maneuver gear and combating titans. Yet once he entered the Survey Corps, most of their training went into detecting and avoiding titans as much as possible.

Armin began to smile at the thought of how frustrating this mission must be for Eren so far, having to pass by so many wandering titans without taking them out. Yet then a dark thought crossed his mind. 'If avoiding titans plays a major role in recon missions, then those who are the first to engage them are the ones who end up dying the most.'

*******_…"They are simply wild animals that need to be put down and nothing more. That's why I intend to join the Survey Corps, and eliminate them all."…_*******

Even with Eren's shifting ability, Armin knows his friend has limits. 'Eren don't do anything stupid out here'.

"Arlert, try to stay focus! The slightest distraction out here could spell the end for all of us." Dita warned, snapping him out of his musing.

"Ah, yes Sir. I'm sorry Sir." Armin apologized.

Dita smiled, his eyes fixed looking ahead. "No need to say you're sorry." he spoke, "I remember my first expedition. I was a nervous wreck, but you kids seem more confident than most rookie groups."

Just then, a black round fired off in the distance. Luke noted and said, "Looks like they spotted an abnormal."

Dita nodded in response. A couple of minutes later, a titan came into view, walking at a very brisk pace. "So one broke through" mentioned Luke. "Ness Sir, what are your orders?"

"We have to take it out." he answered, "No telling what it will do, being an abnormal. We can't let it break the formation." Turning to Armin he ordered, "We'll handle this, you stay ahead of us."

With that, they headed in the direction of the abnormal titan as Armin continued on, with the extra horse in tow.

Pulling alongside the titan as it continued to walk, Dita balanced himself and stood atop his horse, keeping a hand on the reins. With the other, he drew a blade from his gear. Timing it just right, he jumped forward and fired a hook into the back of the titan's leg. Propelling himself toward it, he made a clean swipe at the achilles tendon, causing the creature to fall on the ground.

Luke wasted no time in reeling himself toward the downed titan, and making a deep cut to the nape. Up ahead, Armin was relieved at the success of his team as the titan began to dissipate. Yet from afar he could see something large coming in their direction.

Dita whistled for his horse and rubbed its head when it came to him. "That's a good boy." he encouraged. Getting back on the saddle, he began to move to catch up with Armin, Luke right behind.

Looking up at him, they saw Armin with his flare pointed toward the air. In that moment, Armin fired off a black smoke round, catching them by surprise. It was rare for two abnormal titans to break through the front lines. However, sure enough, as Dita and Luke turned behind them, they saw a titan jogging toward their location. This one had the rare appearance that of a female.

"What are the spotters doing? Surely they would have noticed this one jogging through their ranks." Luke muttered.

Dita sighed and said, "As unlucky as it may be for us, we have to take this one down as well. Plus I don't want it getting near Arlert."

No sooner than they drew the blades in preparation, did the female-like titan accelerate her pace and was on top of them. They narrowly had enough time to breakaway, giving her space to run right between them.

'I never seen a titan move so fast' Dita mused to himself. 'I won't be able to target this one's legs at that rate. It looks like we'll have to strike the nape directly.'

Dita managed to give Luke his command through a hand signal. Luke rose on his horse and took aim at the neck. Seeing the Female Titan turn its head toward Dita, he fired his cables and moved in for the kill.

Dita smiled, thinking they were able to bring down two deviant titans on their own, but he was suddenly filled with horror as the Female type swatted Luke away just as he came close to the neck. Its eyes never left Dita, and suddenly made an attempt to crush him.

He jumped off his horse and fired hooks into its shoulder. The Female-type grabbed hold of the cables and rip the hooks out of her skin. Not letting go, it swung Dita through the air before slamming him into the ground, killing him.

Armin could not help but shake in fear after seeing his squad leader and teammate meet their end at the hands of this new titan. It came to a halt and stood for a few seconds, before turning in his direction.

Armin's breath caught in his throat as he realized he was now in danger. He turned away and began to push the horses as fast as they could go in an effort to get away. The Female Titan took off after him, gaining ground with every massive step.

'Oh no, it's moving too fast, I'm not going to get away!' he thought in panic. He heard the giant's steps getting closer and closer. At this point, Armin realized this wasn't just another abnormal titan. It was a special type, that of the Colossal and Armored. 'How many titans like this are out there? They display so much intelligence that it even Eren would have a tough time bringing them down! It's hard enough fighting against mindless ones given their size. To have size and acuity is downright unfair.'

Realizing his impending fate, Armin let go of his extra horse, knowing the titans only cared for human flesh. Seeing it escape successfully he then prepared himself to jump off his own horse, however, the titan was now right over the top of him. With one stride, it slammed its foot in front of the path of his horse. The resulting force sent him and his horse flying in opposite directions. He rolled along the ground before coming to a stop. The hood of his cloak came up over his head, blinding his vision from the titan as it crouched down beside him.

'This is it! I'm sorry everyone, Mr. and Mrs. Carolina. I won't be able to protect you.' He remembered the letter he read from Mina, just before they left on the expedition. How much she desired to see Eren and him accomplish their goal of seeing the world. 'Mina, we'll always be together after this.'

To his surprise, he wasn't eaten nor crushed to death. Instead, he felt a tug at the hood of his cloak. He lifted his head in shock as he stared directly into the eyes of the Female Titan. The moment went on for another few seconds, and Armin could almost swear he saw the titan smiling at him.

Afterward, it stood up and took off running further within the right flank, leaving him with breath in his body.

"It-it didn't kill me." he stated in disbelief.

Looking over to his side, Armin saw his horse on the ground, dead from breaking its neck along the ground from the force earlier. With no other choice, he began to walk, hoping to run into a fellow recon member before any more titans showed up.

After walking for 15 minutes, a voice called, "Hey Armin!"

Up behind him came Reiner, hauling a spare horse with him. He spoke and said, "Where's your horse, it's dangerous to be out here on foot?"

Armin shook his head, "It died while I was attacked by a titan."

"Really, a titan managed to get this far into the formation? How in the world did you survive?" asked Reiner.

"Well, that's hard to answer; I'm not exactly sure how I survived myself." Armin began, "Yet anyway we have to catch up to it and warn the others with a smoke flare." Armin quickly got on the spare horse, and led Reiner in the direction the Female Titan headed toward.

It didn't take too long before they caught glimpse of it.

"Wow, now there's a titan you don't see everyday." Reiner commented.

"Yeah" Armin responded. Reaching for his flare, he began fumbling around for a black round. Yet before he could load one up, a shot fired off just behind him.

"Looks like Jean beat you to the punch." said Reiner, smiling at him as he rode up beside them. "A yellow round?" he asked him.

"Yeah" Jean answered, "Most of the spotters on the right flank have been wiped out by a large group of titans." Jean informed.

"What?" Reiner and Armin stated together in surprise.

Jean nodded and said, "I've been sent to relay this message deeper into the right flank. That monster up ahead apparently led the titan multitude. After crippling the right side I doubt we can continue this mission to Wall Maria. From the looks of it, this is the most difficult abnormal titan the veteran soldiers have ever dealt with."

"Not to mention it must be difficult for our male soldiers to not be distracted by such a tight looking ass." Reiner commented.

"Come on" Jean grin, "Now is not the time to indulge in any of your lustful fantasies." This caused Reiner to chuckle a bit.

"It's not just another abnormal." Armin said out of the blue.

"Huh? What else would it be?" asked Jean.

Armin looked at him and declared, "After seeing it's capabilities first hand, I originally placed it in the same class as the Colossal and Armored Titans."

"Those two again eh?" Reiner smiled, "So there are more titans out there like them?"

"That's right." Armin confirmed, "They are no doubt our greatest enemies out of all the titan classes. I watched as this Female Titan meticulously struck down my team. It didn't even bother to consume them. Afterward, it then turned its attention on me."

"That reminds me, you still haven't said how you survived that encounter, not that I'm sad to see you alive or anything." Reiner joked.

"No offense taken." Armin reassured, "The fact is I shouldn't be alive right now, but I'm starting to think there is more to this titan than meets the eye. You see after it knocked me off my horse and had me cornered, it took a moment to examine my face. It was as if it was looking for someone in particular."

"It was looking for someone?" Jean repeated questioningly.

Armin nodded. "Yeah, but even stranger than that, it seemed to recognize who I was. I figure that is why I'm still alive. To put it simply, it refused to kill me."

Both Jean and Reiner couldn't believe what they just heard. Is it possible for a titan choosing to have mercy on their prey?

Armin continued on to say, "I don't think this is all by chance. Guys, you remember that day when we discovered the titan that saved us outside of the HQ building in Trost was actually Eren?"

Reiner asked him, "What are you getting at?"

"Perhaps Eren isn't the only one who can transform into a titan." Armin concluded, catching them both off guard. "I'm starting to believe this titan before us, is actually a human in her transformed state."

Jean laughed and said, "Come on Armin, isn't that a little far-fetched? Wasn't it Eren's father who knew the secret how to turn someone into one? You're saying he experimented with someone else?"

"I can't answer that, but this Female Titan being a human is the only thing that makes sense." Armin assured. "It also stands to reason that whoever is inside that body, knows who I am and perhaps all of us."

Reiner turned toward the Female Titan and began to grit his teeth. 'He's beginning to put two and two together, though it's not surprising giving his smarts.' he contemplated. 'Ugh, why did you let him live? It would have been difficult for Bertolt or me to finish him off, but I didn't expect this out of you.'

"I think its Eren she's after." said Armin, causing Reiner to be shaken from his thoughts.

"What, Eren?" Jean questioned.

"Yes. I mean who else would she be after? I'm thinking if this is a titan shifter before us, surely she would be interested in Eren. Besides, that would explain why her attack has primarily been along the right flank. That's where we were briefed concerning Eren's location."

Jean shook his head and said, "That can't be. My group was told Eren is situated on the left flank."

Armin looked thoughtful at this before announcing, "We've been given differing reports concerning Eren. It seems the Commander is up to something and by the looks of it, whatever suspicions he's had is now turning out to be very real."

"So, if he's not within the inner right or left flanks, where do you might think he is Armin? Right behind the Commander within the center rank?" asked Reiner.

Armin considered his question and answered, "Actually, a better bet would be within the center-rear. It's the absolute safest place in the formation."

The two went silent as they mulled over Armin's hunch. All the while, the Female Titan's pace began to slow down to a jog.

"She's starting to tire." Jean pointed out.

Armin looked and said, "I don't think so. She was running at that pace when my group first spotted her, before accelerating and over taking us. I believe she is simply looking for more squads to pursue."

Jean gritted his teeth. "In that case we have to slow her down before she reaches command. If that were to happen, our formation will lose its sense of direction and won't know what's going on."

"I agree." Armin nodded, "Though we can't attack her nape. She'll see us coming and will take us out. I propose we strike the tendons in her legs. That will slow her down for a couple of minutes."

"Roger that." Jean consented.

Reiner could see the fortitude in Jean's eyes and commented, "You've changed a lot since our days at the academy. I can't recall you ever being enthusiastic about fighting titans."

"Yeah well, let's just say I have no desire to see any more of my friends staring at me with eyes that are void of life." Jean stated with a sad smile. Knowing he was referring to Marco, Reiner nodded and the three proceeded to move in on their target.

Armin held his hand up to get their attention and said, "I'll pull to her right and try to get her attention. Once I have it, Jean, you attack the legs. Reiner you stay behind and follow through with a second attack to her leg muscles." As they acknowledged the plan, Armin added, "Oh and one more thing. Pull your hoods up to veil your face. Indeed if she is looking for Eren, she won't kill you until she know who is under the hood."

Increasing his horse's stride, Armin pulled up alongside the 14 meter titan, though making sure to keep a good distance between them. He continued to increase his speed and got out in front. At this, she turned toward him taking notice.

'Now's my chance!' Jean determined.

Standing up in a crouched position atop his horse, Jean jumped and launched a cable toward the titan's legs. Picking up the sound of the initial firing with her acute hearing, the Female Titan immediately shifted her direction, causing the cable to hit the ground a few inches away from her legs.

"What?" Jean breathed out as he landed on the ground. She eyed him for a second before turning and advancing on Armin. With one swift move, she knocked Armin's horse right from under him.

He violently tumbled along the ground from the force, suffering cuts and scrapes to the head.

"Armin!" shouted Jean.

Armin struggled to stay conscious as he laid face first on the ground. He noticed his hood no longer veiled his face, and turned back to look as his attacker drew near. Figuring she would resolve to kill him this time, all he could do was wait for the inevitable. However, again the titan stopped as she looked upon his face. This time it wasn't a hint of a smile that he saw, but a pained expression. Something clicked on the inside of his head as he stared into her eyes.

Immediately Jean shot another hook. It connected with her arm and he began to close in. Reacting quickly, she turned and attempted to catch him. Using his momentum, he successfully flipped his body away from her left hand, and propelled himself behind her.

Jean fired another cable connecting with her back. He planned to make an attempt for her nape. Yet clearly underestimating her knowledge, she covered and clenched the hook in her skin, making it impossible for him to disconnect the cable connected with his maneuver gear.

'Oh crap!' thought Jean. 'It might have been foolish of us to engage this titan in open terrain.' Unable to break free, he continued to swing around and the Female Titan prepared to knock him out of the air with her free hand. 'This is it, I'm dead!'

"Jean, avenge the suicidal bastard who rushed to his death!"

Suddenly the Female Titan froze mid swing and ceased moving altogether. Her hold on Jean's cable even lightened up enough for it to break free as he swung toward the ground.

"That's the titan who led the horde that killed my friend! He always wished to fight them and now he is dead because he wanted to be a hero! I saw him crushed underneath a titan's foot. Jean, avenge his reckless blood!"

Running over to a set of nearby trees, Jean looked over toward Armin as he continued to shout, wondering at what he was saying. Fearing he may have gone delirious, he was surprised the Female Titan was not attacking them in this vulnerable moment. That was when he noticed the effect Armin's words were having on her.

'So, it seems this titan can understand our speech.' Jean mused. 'It looks like your hunch was correct Armin. This is definitely a human in a titan body.' Continuing to look, he saw her form began to slightly shake from tension.

In that moment, Reiner closed in on the still giant. Against Armin's earlier suggestion, he took off his hood and made a clear attempt for the Female Titan's nape, firing a cable wire into her neck. Jean clenched his fist, thinking Reiner might be successful as Armin continued to distract her.

Just as he reeled himself in, she turned his way and caught him in an instant. Jean and Armin's breath were taken away as they watched Reiner struggle to break free.

The Female Titan flexed her hold on him in her fist, positioning her thumb on his head and began to clench. Reiner disappeared deeper into her closed fist leaving his friends looking on in horror as he was being crushed.

Instantly blood splattered everywhere, yet not Reiner's blood. With all his strength, he managed to cut through her fingers using his swords and escape with his life. Quickly swinging down, he scooped up Armin and began running away from her.

"Come on Jean, we've held her long enough!" Reiner shouted. "If she's not a regular titan, she won't follow and eat us!"

Not wasting another minute, Jean ran as fast as he could after them. The Female Titan stood somewhat dazed looking at her steaming fingerless hand. After a moment of letting it heal, she got up, and began running in another direction.

"Ah, look!" Reiner smiled. "I don't know where she's off to but I'm glad my hunch was correct."

Armin watched as she continued to run when suddenly, he realized which section within the formation would meet her next.

'No, why is she headed toward the center rear?' he thought. 'Did she see through my bluff?' All he could do was look and hope Eren remained safe.

...

…

…

Running full speed ahead, Levi's squad continued on through the plains of Maria territory. Eren looked out upon the vast horizon, remembering the very few times he had a chance to travel with his father to visit patients. It was so long ago that by now, the territory looked unfamiliar to him.

"It's been a while since we saw our last red flare." Gunther stated to the group.

Eld nodded and said, "Yes, it's pretty strange for that to happen on an expedition. It looks like the commander has steered us in a good direction."

No sooner did he finish speaking, a black flare round shot off in the distance to their right.

"An abnormal?" questioned Gunther, "Looks like it made it pretty far into the formation."

Levi turned his head toward Eren and gave him the signal to fire the same colored round. Eren complied and shot it off. After a few seconds, the group caught sight of a messenger from the right flank galloping toward them.

"Captain." he addressed Levi, "A group of titans have infiltrated the right flank and most scouts have not survived the battle. Also, it appears there are a large number of abnormal titans among them, one wiping out squad after squad and traveling deeper into the formation."

The group gasped at what they heard, but Levi seemed almost unaffected by the news. He nodded to the messenger, allowing him to return to his group. Turning to Petra he spoke, "Go relay that message to the left."

"Yes Sir!" Petra affirmed with determination. As she broke away to fulfill her order, Eld asked Levi, "Sir without the spotters on the right flank, do you think it's wise for the commander to continue the expedition?"

"Who knows" Levi answered. "Once we reach a safe area and set up camp, we can fully assess the situation. Though finding an area of rest out here is hard to do. The titans are always on the move and we won't be able to stop until nightfall."

Another black round fired off in the distance.

"That one was closer." stated Gunther. He then shot off his round to forward the signal. "It seems that abnormal titan that was referred to us is headed toward our direction. Even for an abnormal, it's unusual for it to take out so many soldiers and still not met its end already."

Eren listened and continued to watch the flares in the distance. Underneath the smoke, someone was fighting. Someone was giving their life. The thought pained him greatly.

For all the soldiers who died in Trost, his friends, their bodies were collected and properly put to rest. Yet to die out here, chances are their bodies will be left behind to rot away in the open sun. He wasn't apart of the clean up effort of Trost, having the honor of sending away his comrades with dignity and respect. These soldiers will not receive that tribute. Grimacing, Eren continued to ride on.

…

…

…

"You're one tough dude I'll tell you that!" Reiner laughed

Armin faintly smiled as Reiner helped him bandage the cuts on his head. "Speak for yourself." he responded, "I would not have been able to escape the clutches of such a titan in the way you did. I imagine perhaps Mikasa and Captain Levi are the only other ones who could have stood their ground."

"Yeah well in any case, we can't have your head being damaged. When it comes to your smarts, you have no rival." Reiner stated upon finishing up.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. My horse took the worse of it, dying from the blow."

After running a short distance, the three found a small section of trees they could temporarily use to rest behind. Knowing they couldn't stay on the ground for long without a titan finding them, Reiner and Jean tried whistling for their horses. Reiner's came back, but Jean continued to call out for his without success.

"Hopefully Jean's horse will come soon." Reiner observed.

Armin noted with only one horse, someone would have to stay behind as Reiner's horse couldn't carry all of them. Yet that wasn't the only thing on his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about the Female Titan, the look in her eyes when she saw him bloodied on the ground.

'She definitely knows who I am.' he weighed over. 'Not only that, but she responded to Eren's nickname. That can only mean whoever is inside that titan, is also from our training regiment. Yet why would a comrade do this? Who among us would be capable of possibly killing their friends?'

Then something donned on him. The look in the Female Titan's eyes, he understood why it felt so familiar, so distinctive. It was of a person who rarely showed any emotion at all, that once it did show, it threatens to flood out all at once and the person quickly attempts to snatch it all back. The same look Annie gave him the day he told her and Connie his reasons for joining the Survey Corps.

"Could it be?" Armin voiced all of sudden, catching Reiner's attention. Before he could ask Armin what he was referring to, Jean came up to them with a disappointed look on his face.

"It's no good guys." he said, "I can't get my horse to come to me."

Reiner shook his head, "It looks like one of us will have to stay behind then."

"Gah, after all we just went through and surviving" Jean gritted his teeth, "Only for one of us to die out here alone."

"Wait a minute Jean." Armin interjected. "We can still send out an emergency flare. Hopefully, those that were behind us should still be within the area to see it."

"You're right." he agreed.

Jean took out his pistol and loaded it with a purple smoke round. Taking aim, he shot upwards, praying someone with an extra horse would see it.

"Just in case no one arrives" Reiner spoke, "We will have to decide who stays behind."

"I'll stay." Armin immediately volunteered, leaving the two speechless. He continued, "The Scouts will need as many talented fighters as possible right now, so I'm expendable."

"Armin-" Reiner began to protest, but he stopped him and said, "Listen; I do need you two to relay something to Commander Erwin for me."

"Hold that thought Armin." Jean addressed. He pointed out into the distance and the three could make out a person on horseback coming toward their location, with two spare horses at their side. "It looks like you will be able to relay that message yourself."

As the person got closer the three realized who it was, their former fellow trainee, Krista.

"Man it's good to see you Krista!" Jean greeted as they all ran out to her. "…and look, you found my horse!"

Krista smiled and said, "Yes, he was running around at a frantic pace. I was able to catch up to him and calm him down. Shortly afterward I saw your signal. What happened to you guys?"

"Ah we ran into some titan trouble, this particular one unusually hard to bring down." he answered. Rubbing his horse's mane and neck he asked it, "Are you okay Otto? Sorry we left you back there."

Reiner grinned, "You named your horse Otto?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Jean asked with an annoyed look.

"Nothing, nothing." he held up his hands in compliance with a cheeky expression.

Krista quietly chuckled, being reminded how much of a jokester Reiner was. However upon seeing Armin's bandaged forehead, a look of worry spread across her face.

"Armin you're hurt!" she stated.

"I'll be alright, you don't have to worry." he assured.

Reiner smiled at Krista's demeanor. She always seemed to care for others before herself. Even now when they needed help, she was there to answer their call.

Tears began to roll down her face. Wiping them away she told them, "I'm glad all of you are okay. After so many of our friends died in Trost, I can't bare the thought losing any more."

A beam of sunlight bounced off her tears, causing something of a prism-like effect to shine from her face. The three were stunned into silence at her beauty.

…

…

…

Within the head of the center flank, Commander Erwin took in the amount of black rounds consistently being fired off in the distance. From the reports given by those relaying messages of what has happened in the right flank, he concludes the happenings are not by chance.

"We'll be changing course toward the east." he announced to his assistant squad commander. "The capture operation is now underway."

Directing the group eastward, Erwin fired a green round into the air, signaling to the formation the new direction. Little by little, the message began to transfer as groups responded and fired green rounds.

Mikasa watched as her section leader fired off the green smoke, and immediately she took notice of the change in direction. Connie rode up beside her and asked, "I wonder what's going on? This way certainly doesn't lead to Shiganshina."

"It appears so." she responded, "This may have something to do with the reports concerning the right side of the formation."

"Man, we haven't been traveling for a couple of hours and already things are falling apart." Connie sighed. "I hope the others among our class are alright."

Mikasa looked out onto the plains, hoping the same for her friends.

Elsewhere, the round of signal flares made it to the back of the formation, reaching Levi's squad.

"That's odd." said Petra, "It seems we've completely changed course."

"Given the direction, we're headed straight for the Forest of Giant Trees." Gunther spoke. "It looks like Commander Erwin is changing tactics after all the losses on the right side."

Oluo chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I imagine he plans to lose the damned titans among the trees."

Petra looked ahead to Levi. "Captain" she asked, "Do you think that is the best way to shake the titan horde? Within the forest, it will be harder to communicate with everyone in the formation."

Eren looked toward his captain, anticipating the answer to her question. He remained silent for a moment before simply responding, "I suppose it can't be helped. Something has to be done about that bothersome aberrant titan."

His answer seemed to quell their curiosity. Eren smiled at how gracefully his superiors could deduce changes in strategy. In no time, he will also learn to pick up on their experience and become a highly skilled scout.

…

…

…

Once Reiner, Jean, Krista, and Armin caught up with another regiment at the entrance of the Forest of Giant Trees, they were instructed to circle around, with only the center of the formation being allowed to enter.

After traveling around a bit, they were given orders tether their horses and take positions up in the high trees. They were called to keep all the titans that were pursuing them outside the forest, which Armin found eerily similar to the strategy they used during the battle in Trost.

While Reiner and Krista went off as far as they were allowed to check on their friends within other sections of the forest, Jean and Armin waited patiently within a tree for something to happen.

"This blows." Jean stressed. "We should be returning to Karanese and cutting our losses. What is the Commander thinking?"

Armin couldn't help but think about that question himself. Simply by coming here would put a damper on the whole expedition. So if the mission was already off, why not head back behind the safety of Wall Rose and fight another day?

'Could it involve the Female Titan?' he wondered. 'Yes, that must be it. He must have deduced this wasn't a normal titan we're dealing with all along.'

"Hey Armin" Jean brought him back from his thoughts.

"Uh, yeah?"

"I can see the gears are turning in your head. You have an idea as to what's going on?"

Armin wasn't sure if he put it together just yet, but considering the Commander gave them differing information as to Eren's location within the formation, it was more than likely he was planning to encounter a unique enemy.

"I believe all this has to do with the Female Titan." Armin began. "It's quite possible the Commander knew there was another titan shifter out there who would come after Eren, thus this operation's main purpose was to draw them out."

"Heads up everyone, a five meter titan approaches!" yelled one of the section leaders.

Everyone turned their gaze toward a titan in pursuit of a squad reaching the outer edge of the forest.

"So you're saying this whole expedition was about luring out that female-form titan?" Jean asked Armin, eyes fixed on the five meter titan as it stopped in front of a tree the newly arrived scouts escaped into.

He nodded and said, "Possibly to capture her, the real her that is."

Jean turned to him in curiosity. "You sound like you already know who might be inside that creature. Is that the message you wanted us to relay to Erwin earlier?"

"Yeah" Armin answered. Jean watched as Armin eyes became downcast all of a sudden.

"Hey what's wrong Armin? Who's inside that thing?"

"Listen Jean" he started, "Would you think it's possible for a friend to kill their own comrades?"

"What? That would be insane." Jean answered. "What kind of person would kill their own? Wait, you're saying the person in that titan is a fellow soldier?" Then it struck him.

***** **_"Jean, avenge the suicidal bastard who rushed to his death!" shouted Armin. The Female Type suddenly froze up upon hearing the statement._ *******

"It's-it's someone from our trainee squad, isn't it?" Jean whispered, realization dawning on him.

Armin looked at him sadly and said, "I believe so."

Jean clutched his fists and began to grit his teeth. There was no way he could believe someone from their own camp would do something like this. He bonded with all his classmates over those three years they spent at the academy, and even learned to tolerate Eren. Yet the person inside that titan thought nothing of ending his life had it not been for Armin's shout.

"Who is it?" Jean hesitantly asked, anger starting to take him.

"Jean, even though I'm sure it's someone from our trainee squad, I can't fully say I know who it is just yet."

"Cut the crap Armin, you know who it is! You pieced it together during our fight with her or is that not what you were going to tell the Commander?"

Armin looked away, Jean taking that to mean he is right in Armin knowing. Placing one hand on his shoulder, Jean continued, "She willingly killed soldiers and would have killed me as well. There's no need to defend her."

Armin silently nodded in agreement.

"Who is it Armin?"

"It's Annie."

…

…

…

Levi's squad was among the last to make it at the forest's entrance. Being in the center rank, they continued on inside. Eren noticed some of the other squads waiting on the outside as they passed through, and immediately questions began flooding his head.

"Levi Sir" he asked, "Why are there squads waiting outside the forest? I thought we were attempting to lose the titans in the cover of the trees?"

Levi didn't turn to address him, only simply kept his eyes forward as he continued to lead them through the forest.

"Captain?"

"Use your head for once rookie." Oluo spoke up, catching Eren's attention.

"Sir?"

"This forest is an excellent environment to use our maneuver gear, unlike the open plains." Oluo proudly stated. "Naturally we avoid having to fight normal titans but abnormals cause us headache. So if we have to engage, this is the spot to do it."

"Oh, I see." Eren acknowledged.

"Yep, you little brats will catch on at some point." Oluo sighed. "Just keep watching me and you'll ***SCRUNCH***-YOOOOOOWWWWW!"

"Learn not to bite your own tongue." Petra finished for him.

Eren smiled but inwardly he knew Oluo was right. He needed to learn to figure these things out for himself, and not expected to be spoon fed what to do in every circumstance.

After traveling for another few minutes, the group heard the familiar sound of a smoke flare going off. Looking up, they saw the color of black smoke rise over the tall trees.

"It seems an abnormal entered the forest." stated Gunther, "It may be the strange one the other squads were having trouble bringing down."

"Listen everyone" Levi announced. Everybody turned and waited for his command. "Be on guard. We don't know what kind of titan we are dealing with here. Something tells me we won't have a lot of time to respond if it catches us by surprise."

"Sir!" Everyone resounded.

All was silent except for the hooves of the horses as they continued down the dirt path of the forest. Eren's eyes darted from left to right, looking for any disturbance that might indicate the location of the titan. Suddenly his eye caught sight of a Corps member swinging around the trees off a slight distance to his right, blades drawn. He could see the person looking behind, but couldn't tell what he were looking at until suddenly, something large zinged effortlessly out around the trees, smashing the helpless soldier to the ground.

The group's eyes grew large as they caught sight of the creature. Its speed was unbelievable, easily matching the speed of their horses, if not moving faster.

It continued to run off to the side, pulling evenly with the group. Levi cautiously watched, trying to predict its next move. When the titan slightly turned its head toward them, Levi shouted, "Everyone duck!"

Instantly the titan lunged toward the group, more specifically towards Eren. Eren slid to the side of his horse, hanging on for dear life as the titan's hand made an attempt to grab him. He could almost feel the warmth of its fingers as they moved over the top of his horse.

The momentum carried the titan over, landing off the side of the road as the group continued forward. Undeterred, the titan gave chase. Eren pulled himself back to a sitting position, and couldn't help but look back at the titan coming after them. It appeared to be looking back at him with a thrilled glint.

"Move it!" Levi commanded

They pushed their horses to their limits, galloping down the path. However the titan kept pace with ease, and began to gain ground.

Eld spoke, "It doesn't look like we can outrun it."

"Look, reinforcements have arrived!" Petra informed looking over her shoulder.

They watched as two soldiers caught up with the titan using their maneuver gear, briefly causing it to slow its pace. One of the soldiers got out in front to be a decoy, while the other made a break for the nape, shooting their hook and cable at the neck. It anticipated and dodged the shot, grabbing the wire as it passed. This caused the soldier to be yanked forward and the titan squashed the soldier against a tree. The soldier out in front panicked, allowing the titan to move in and catch one of their wires before it could retract.

Eren watched in horror as the soldier was pulled back and struck down out of the air in a streak of blood. With them out of the way, the titan continued its pursuit.

Eld drew a blade from his gear and said, "We're going to have to fight it." Gunther drew his own blade in response.

Eren looked back at the titan and smirked. 'I almost feel sorry for you.' he thought. 'You've ran free all this time and having your way, only to come up against a group of individuals known for killing titans. Your reign of terror ends here!' He glanced back at Levi, waiting for him to give the command to take it down.

Yet, it never came.

"Captain, your orders?" Eld asked

He was met with silence.

The strange titan with the appearance of a woman got closer to the group with each stride. It would only be a matter of time before she was right on top of them.

"Captain!" Petra called out, fearing they won't be able to counter if the Female Titan got any closer.

Finally, Levi glanced back at the approaching titan, a cool and calculating expression on his face. Grabbing one of his signal guns, he instructed, "Everyone, cover your ears."

They moved to do so, not fully understanding what he was about to do. Pointing the gun in the air, Levi fired off a shot. However, instead of a smoke flare coming out of the barrel, a high pitch screening sound emitted. Even with their ears covered, the group groaned at the piercing noise. If Levi was bothered by the sound, he certainly didn't show it.

Eren looked back at the titan. Seeing its eyes twitching, he could tell the noise must be having a deeper impact on its ears than theirs. Yet it kept coming toward them.

Eventually the noise subsided, allowing them to uncover their ears. At that point, Levi address them saying, "Everyone, our main job has always been to protect Eren at all costs. Not only does he hold the key around his neck that unlocks critical information concerning the titans, but he is the key to finally overcoming this 100 year siege on humanity."

The team regained it's composure as they listened to his words. "Remember this" he went on, "Even if we should die, someone will take our place. Yet Eren must go on. He could very well be our last hope. So we will continue to move forward."

So they resolved in their hearts to continue on, following behind their captain's lead. However, Eren was confused by his order.

"Forgive me Sir but we should take this titan out." he argued, "It already killed many soldiers, so to let it continue running around is crazy."

"Eren!" Petra berated.

He turned to her and said, "I mean no disrespect, but we have to take it out before our entire unit is wiped out. If Captain Levi can't do it, then who will?"

She shook her head, "You must be patient and trust the Captain's judgment."

Eren clenched his teeth as he looked at the back of Levi. 'This is insane. Why won't he act?'

Hearing the familiar sounds of maneuver gear, Eren turned around and saw three scouts swinging around the titan, attempting to bring it down. Interestingly enough, the Female Titan covered her weak spot with one hand.

"Eren let them do their job." Petra told him, "Focus on moving ahead."

"We should be fighting with them."

His eyes were transfixed on the battle. He understood his value to humanity winning this war against the titans, but that doesn't mean his life should be so highly valued over the others. Was it not Squad Levi's original purpose to protect everyone from him in his transformed state? Why now is everyone willing to die for him?

With a lightning quick strike, the Female Titan shot down two of the three soldiers, the third barely escaping to the side.

"No!" Eren yelled, "They didn't have to die!"

Whipping his head back to Levi he called and said, "There's one more still fighting. We can still save him if we act now!"

Silence was his only answer, and it was beginning to drive him crazy. Never in his wildest dreams in his short time of knowing him, did he thought he would see a day where Levi would hesitate to fight a titan.

'Argh, I didn't sign up for this!' he raged inwardly. 'I swear, this titan is going down even if I have to do it myself!'

Then the idea struck him. 'That's right. I can fight on my own. Even though I should save my strength to plug the hole in Wall Maria, it won't matter if this titan ruins the mission. I don't think I'll be able to take it out with my maneuver skills, so I'll have to transform!'

Resolving the issue in his heart, he slowed his horse's pace little by little, making sure the rest were ahead by enough to not be harmed by the effects of him changing. With Petra being the closest to him, she immediately noticed him falling slightly behind. She started to call out for him, but that's when she noticed him raising his hand to his mouth.

"Eren no, you haven't been given the instruction to do that!"

Eld, Gunther, and Oluo turned at her voice, seeing Eren intending to bite his hand.

"I'm sorry but I have to do this." he responded, "I can't sit back any longer!"

"Eren think about what you're doing! To do things on your own is reckless. Disobeying your commanding officer's orders can lead everyone to their deaths. You're no longer training at the academy, this is live action!"

"We're going to die anyway if we continue to run from it. Eventually it will catch up and crush us all!" Eren cried. "If Captain Levi won't fight, then I will!"

"Eren!"

"It's alright Petra." Levi called, catching her off guard.

"Captain?" she questioned

Looking at her he commented, "I understand his desire to fight. It's his craving that truly makes him a force to be reckoned with, and not his ability to become a titan."

Turning to look over his shoulder at Eren, Levi addressed and said, "You have my permission to change and fight if you want to, yet you have a choice. The difference between you and the others is experience. They've learned to trust in the confidence of their superiors, having faith that their decisions will work out the best. So I offer you that choice. However, no one truly knows how things will turn out either way, so choose the one you will regret the least."

After listening to his words, Eren hesitated a little, questioning if what he was doing is the right course of action. Turning back at the titan, he caught glimpse of the remaining soldier dodging another blow.

'I have to stop it.'

Once again bringing his hand to his mouth, he suddenly looked up at the faces of his team. All of them were watching him, concern present on their faces. 'Are they worried about me?' he questioned.

Petra noticed his sudden reluctance. Smiling she called, "Eren"

Having his attention, she stated, "You can trust us Eren. We're with you all the way."

The others nodded with her sentiment, smiling back at him and encouraging him to trust Levi's judgment.

"You're taking too long to decide." Levi insisted, "What is your decision?"

Eren closed his eyes in frustration. He knew in his heart he could trust them. Even with his short time of training, there was no guarantee he could maintain absolute focus long enough to bring down his opponent.

He didn't know what Levi was up to, but after hearing him, he certainly wasn't afraid to face this abnormal titan. He remained cool the throughout the whole ordeal. The others saw that and put their faith in him. He will to.

"Eren" Petra called again.

"I choose to move on!" Eren cried out. "I choose to put my trust in your lead Captain!"

Petra gave him a big smile, as well as the others. Levi glanced over at her, seeing her excitement at Eren's decision. 'She managed to convince him to continue on. You're a special person Petra. Though I'll be lying if I said I didn't want him to fight. You're just like me, aren't you Eren?'

Suddenly the Female Titan jumped in the air and kicked the soldier as he attempted to strike at the muscles in her arm. His broken body went flying past Squad Levi, splattering against a tree. Eren clenched his fists around the reigns of his horse, silently apologizing to the fallen soldier.

With no one else to slow it down, the Female Titan began to accelerate at a greater pace than before. Levi still led his squad down the road, with no intention of switching to maneuver gear and fighting back.

Eren's mind screamed to transform, but he was all in on his decision to move. Leaning his head back, Eren looked into the face of his attacker. It stared back at him and he couldn't help but wonder why it seemed to be so interested in him. To his surprise, it began to reach out for him similar to before.

The instance genuinely puzzled him, but before he could do anything to avoid her reach, the ground slightly gave way underneath her feet with her last step, causing her to stumble.

"What the…"

Eren suddenly noticed all the scouts hiding within the area they passed, standing next to large grappling cannons surrounding where the titan faltered.

The group looked back when they heard someone shout, "FIRE!"

The Female Titan barely had enough time to cover her nape with both hands before being pierced with hundreds of hooks and cables. By the time it was over, she was successfully pinned down, unable to move an inch.

Looking down at the captured giant from within the trees stood Commander Erwin.

"The capture operation" he declared, "is a success."

…

…

…

On the outside of the forest, the number of titans steadily increased as they continued to reach for the scouts waiting in the tall branches. Some titans attempted to climb the trees, causing Krista to panic.

"It will be okay." Squad Leader Nanaba told her, "Even if they manage to reach this point, we can avoid them by moving to another tree. Don't worry; we won't be here for much longer."

Elsewhere, Bertolt had an anxious look for a different reason from the titans eyeing him down from the forest floor.

"Did you hear those sounds?" he asked Reiner who stood off to his side.

Reiner answered, "Yeah, it kind of sounded like cannon fire coming from the inside. I wonder what is going on."

Bertolt looked at him and whispered, "You think she's alright? Perhaps it was a mistake to let her do this alone."

"You worry too much Bert." he assured, giving him a faint smile. "She's got this. Pretty soon we will be on our way home again with the power of the Coordinate rightfully in our possession, earning our status as warriors."

Nodding, Bertolt turned toward the inner forest, hoping his friend is right.

…

…

…

After traveling ahead a short distance, Levi brought the group to a rest. Stepping down from his horse and giving the reigns to Eld, he address, "Continue up ahead and tether the horses. I'm heading back to report to Erwin. Wait for my return."

"Yes Sir." Eld saluted.

They watched as Levi took off back down the road on his maneuver gear until he went beyond their line of sight. Eld smiled and turned toward Eren.

"Congratulations Eren. The continued trust in your team has paid off with the successful capture of that titan."

Eren turned to him, still not sure what happened a few moments earlier. "Was that the plan all along?" he asked.

"Of course it was brat!" Oluo bragged. "If you weren't so busy whining the whole time, you would have figured it out as I have a long time ago."

"Ha-ha that's really funny Oluo." Petra scoffed. "Why don't you be honest and admit you didn't know what was going on anymore than Eren did, or the rest of us for that matter."

Eren gasped, "Why wouldn't Captain Levi tell you guys what was going on? I mean, all of you are among the elites, so why keep it from you?"

Petra and Gunther smiled at this.

"Well, its not that he didn't trust us." Gunther replied. "I'm sure the captain had his reasons. I'm willing to bet very few had knowledge of what was going on."

Eren seemed content with that thinking 'The Captain had his reasons, but sadly many lives were lost in the process. Even though this titan is unique, was it really worth capturing it?'

"I hope Hange's team can glean a lot from this new titan." he spoke up. "It seems to be of the quality of the Colossal and Armored, showing intelligence. If we can learn more about it, the lives that were loss will not be in vain."

The team looked at their youngest member with pride, seeing how well he was coping with the things he saw today. Usually it took newcomers a while to handle the ferociousness of what happens on the battlefield, but it seems he will be just fine.

"Let's go everyone." stated Eld, "We'll go up ahead and wait for the Captain."

…

…

…

"Wow, she's a beauty!" Hange proclaimed. Staring down at their catch, she impatiently began rubbing her hands together, wanting to begin testing on the titan's abilities. "I have to say this may be my most interesting specimen to date!"

"Hold your horses Major." her assistant Moblit Berner cautioned. "Remember this isn't a regular titan. There's someone inside."

"Well, that makes things even more fascinating." Hange grinned darkly, making him shiver at what she has in store.

Just then, Levi arrived and landed next to Erwin and Mike atop the trees.

"Good job Levi." Erwin congratulated, "Thanks to your team the mission was a success."

Levi shook his head, "We couldn't have done it without those who slowed her down in her pursuit, as well as all the others who gave their lives today. I thank them."

"I see." acknowledged Erwin. "Tell me, how did Eren respond to the situation?"

"He was restless at first. He wanted to fight, but the others convinced him follow me. It pained him greatly to see soldiers dying."

Mike smiled and said, "He's one of a kind isn't it he? I have a lot of respect for the kid."

"Indeed." Levi nodded. Turning his attention toward the Female Titan, he drew two blades from his gear. "Now, let's see who's inside this thing. I'm sure they're scared shitless at this point, I just hope they haven't actually pissed themselves."

Moving to launch himself toward the head, Erwin stopped him and said, "Wait a minute Levi. I want to make sure she can't move once we attempt to extract."

Giving the signal, they began firing extra rounds at the Female Titan. Some even struck the eyelids, making it impossible to even blink. Once the last cable was fired, Erwin turned to Levi and Mike, giving them the order to slice through the hands covering the nape.

The two launched toward her and aimed for the hands. Running their blades through, they were amazed to see them shatter upon impact. Levi landed on top of the titan's head to observe his broken blade, while Mike went back to Erwin to inform it's a no go.

Erwin observed the titan's hands, narrowing at its crystallized texture. 'So, she can harden her skin as a means of defense. Not as effective as the Armored Titan, but useful enough it seems.'

Holding up his hand, a member from Hange's squad landed next to him waiting for his command.

"Keiji, inform Hange to have her team prepare an artillery round." Erwin advised. "We will blow off her hands."

"Sir, there's a possibility the person inside may be taken out as well." Keiji informed.

"You are correct. Let's minimize that outcome by aiming below the wrists."

"Sir!"

…

…

…

"Armin, I think we better move to another tree." said Jean. A titan managed to balance itself between two trees opposite from the tree they were in, climbing to their height.

"Right"

The two swung over a couple of trees out of its reach, and landed in the branches. Jean sighed, "It looks like even the regular titans have the ability to show some intelligence. They're not completely animalistic in nature."

"Yeah" Armin agreed, "It makes you wonder all the more about where they came from and what they are."

"Hey" Jean called, "Why do you think Annie would do something like this? When did she gain the ability to turn into a titan anyway? Bah, all of this is so confusing."

Armin nodded, "I know it is, but now we know why Erwin kept the real intent behind this mission a secret. I'm also willing to bet he believes the Colossal and Armored Titans are shifters as well, and might have been expecting them to come after Eren."

"What? You mean there are two more traitors within our ranks?"

"Unfortunately yeah. Well, I guess you could call them traitors, but the truth is they were never on our side to begin with. As strange as it sounds, it seems they came from outside the Walls, sneaking in after they broke through Maria."

"Damn it!" Jean pounded his fist against the tree. He didn't know who the other two were, or if there are any more of them out there, but Annie was their friend. Even with her lone wolf personality, he had great respect for her throughout their training. She had a desire to join the MP just like him. Yet now all of that has changed. She and her partners played a key role in the death of all their friends, in the death of his best friend Marco, and even could have led to the death of his own mother.

'Annie I swear' he thought angrily. 'I will make you pay for your actions!'

…

…

…

"I wonder how they are going to bring it back to Karanese." Eren openly wondered.

The Special Operations Squad followed Levi's command and took to the trees to wait for him to return.

"Usually we cut off all the limbs and torso to make it easier to manage." Petra told him. "Afterward we put it on a cart and cover it from the rays of the sun with a sheet, in order to slow down the regeneration."

"Oh, so that's how it works." Eren admitted.

Gunther laughed and said, "Hauling it back to town would be a lot easier if the damn thing was a shifter like you wouldn't you say Eren?"

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah of course. All we would have to do is cut her out of the neck, the same way we do you. Then it's just a matter of binding the person up and getting out of here."

He rubbed the back of his head and continued, "Now that I've mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if there was someone inside it. Would explain why she knew the capabilities of our gear and was able to counter them, all the while protecting the sweet spot at the back of the neck."

Eren shook his head, "That's not possible Sir. My father is the only one who knows how titan shifting works. I doubt anyone else have that kind of information."

Oluo spoke up and in annoyance said, "Hmmm, well no disrespect to your father, but don't you think it was kind of selfish of him to keep that information to himself? If he knew how the titans operated, he could have told the government and we might already been on our way to defeating them."

Knowing he was right and not knowing what to say, Eren became dejected.

"Oluo give him a break." Petra warned, "There's no need to ask him such questions right now."

"Ha, as you wish, my queen!" Oluo bowed, causing her to become very irritated.

…

…

…

While they prepared the rounds, Levi continued to stand atop the captured titan, trying to get a feel for the person's desperation.

"You've caused us a lot of trouble today, killing off our soldiers." he remarked. "Yet here you are, bound up and at our mercy."

He paused, almost as if expecting her to say something, and then stated, "I can only guess as to what you were trying to accomplish here today, that it had something to do with Eren am I right? Perhaps you know he is the only one that can stop you and your kind, and want to kill him the same way you killed our test subjects. Well, I have news for you. I'm not letting that happen, and now, you will become our newest subject for testing. How do you like these turn of events?"

At this, he felt very slight vibrations from the body, indicating his words must be sinking in. "There's no need to panic just yet. Take this time to reflect on your life. Once we cut you from this abomination, you will know that in the end, you are nothing but a complete failure."

"**Hyah"**

"What" Levi uttered. The sudden sound that escaped the titan's lips caught him off guard.

"**GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGHHH!"**

The roars filled the whole forest, able to be heard miles away. Those on the outside wondered at what the noise could be. Then something happened none of them expected. All the titans that were previously scratching for them at the base of the trees, made a mad dash inside the forest.

"What happened? Are they reacting to those noises we heard a second ago?" Jean asked Armin.

"It's the Female Titan." Armin concluded. "Annie called for them."

They then heard the order from section leaders all over the forest for them to engage in combat.

Jean drew his blades clenching his teeth, "Great, now we have to fight these things."

On the west side of the forest, Mikasa drew her blades, ready to pursue the fleeing titans.

"Mikasa wait!" Sasha bellowed

"We have to comply with our orders Sasha. Don't worry; I won't let the titans eat you."

"No that's not entirely what I'm concerned about." she gulped. "Whatever made that sound is a hundred times more dangerous those titans. I've heard similar sounds from prey my family hunted back home. It's the cry of an animal with its back against the wall. That's when they are at their most aggressive state."

Sighing, Mikasa comforted her saying, "We can't afford to be afraid. Don't forget I grew up in the mountains among dangerous creatures."

"That doesn't count, you are a vegetable farmer. You don't understand the thrill of the hunt!" she screeched.

'Well, Sasha's instincts are usually sharp.' Mikasa supposed. 'I wonder how Eren's group is holding up. I didn't see them in our section outside the forest. Could it be he's on the inside, battling that creature?'

Back on the inside, the Female Titan ceased her roaring. Erwin was left wondering what that stunt was all about when he ultimately got his answer.

Sniffing the air, Mike warned, "It stinks, we've got titans approaching our position."

"How many do you think there are?" Erwin asked

"All of them." he replied quickly.

Alarmed, Erwin turned toward Hange's team. "Are the guns loaded?" he yelled down.

Hange called back and answered, "Enough are loaded to make a dent, but we need more time to load the amount we need to break through given her ability!"

Erwin nodded, ushering them to hurry. "We will need to buy them time should they arrive before hand."

Mike nodded, "Understood."

Within the next couple of minutes, the faster of the first wave of titans appeared.

"Wagon defense team, engage!" ordered Erwin.

They roared as they took off to face the giant newcomers. In an effort to keep the titans from coming closer to their catch, the defense team swung close enough to catch their attention. Amazingly however, the titans ran pass them and continued toward the Female Titan.

"Captain Levi, their coming right at you!"

Levi began stomping the Female Titan's head in frustration. "You just had to call your friends for help didn't you? Tch!"

Connecting fresh blades to his hilt and flipping one over in his left hand, Levi took off toward the tallest titans out of the first three approaching. He shot a cable into one and used it as a sling, swinging and cutting both titans' napes in an arching motion.

The third titan broke through, being of smaller height. It reached the Female Titan and unexpectedly began eating away at her kneecap.

'What's this, the titans are eating the Female Type?' Erwin questioned

"Commander" Hange shouted, "We're ready to fire the shots!"

Erwin looked out and saw more titans coming in fast. Even if they succeeded in taking out the hands, they may not have enough time to cut the person out of the nape. If this person could crystallize any part of their titan's body, it's not inconceivable they would just harden the skin around the nape, making everything moot.

Turning to Hange's team he called, "Hold that order for now. I want all units to defend the Female Titan, even if it means giving your life!"

Immediately everyone went out to meet the incoming titans head on before they could reach their target.

Erwin watched as titan after titan fell to his soldiers' strikes. The effort was great, but as soon as one fell, four more moved ahead getting closer to their stationary meal. The sheer numbers were even too much for Levi and Mike to take down.

Some of the soldiers who were waiting on the outside of the forest made it to the spectacle, getting their first look at where all the titans were headed. Bertolt was among them, and his eyes widened at the secured titan.

"Annie!" he gasped. Before he could do anything rash, Reiner caught him mid air and landed within a nearby tree.

"Let me go, she needs our help!" Bertolt argued.

"Shhhhh, keep your voice down, someone might hear you!" Reiner urged.

After calming down, Reiner stated to him, "She will be fine on her own. She called the titans for a reason, and now we know why. No doubt she will use this opportunity to escape."

After thinking on it, he nodded in agreement.

After some more intense fighting, the titans finally closed on her, tearing away at the arms and legs. The cables and wires were being pulled in all directions, causing the grappling cannons to be pulled out of position and rendered useless. At that point, Erwin could no longer deny, they had lost.

"All units fall back into formation! Prepare to return to Karanese District!"

Everyone stood back at their commander's orders, watching as the Female Titan was devoured by the multitude, more arriving from the far side of the forest. Erwin himself continued to look on, half acknowledging Levi's presence as he landed next to him.

"That look doesn't suit you Sir." Levi observed, "I suppose we should be used to failing by now, but we're a stubborn bunch."

"It wasn't a total failure." Erwin informed him, "The one inside that titan clearly didn't expect this much resistance. Yet in the end they decided death was a more favorable outcome than divulging their secrets."

"Yeah well, I wonder how Zackly is going to take all this?" Levi asked. "A lot of lives were lost today and Eren's ability wasn't put to the test. He may decide to lock him up again or find him better off as a specimen for dissecting."

Erwin replied, "We'll worry about that later. Now we need gather everyone and head back behind Wall Rose."

"Right, I'll go retrieve my squad."

As Erwin continued to watch the steam rise from gorging titans, he stopped Levi and said, "Go refuel your gear first."

"I should have enough to make it to them and retrieve our horses"

"That's an order Levi." Erwin answered, finally turning toward him with a stoic expression.

Levi blinked a little, but responded, "Yes Sir. I trust your judgment."

…

…

…

A cool breeze passed by Eren's face as he gazed upon the trees of the forest. Even though he's never visited this place while he was younger, he's heard plenty about how tall the trees would grow here. He even heard some of the trees could be thousands of years old.

'If it wasn't for everything that happened today' he thought 'I would have been thrilled to see this place. There must be much more interesting sights out there in the world.'

***POP* *POP* *POP***

The sound of smoke flares filled the air, rousing the group from their thoughts.

"It looks like we're heading back to town, look." Eld stated, pointing at the columns of blue smoke rising above the forest. "I'm guessing they successfully tied it down to a cart and are heading out."

Oluo laughed and said, "It serves that titan wench right. She must have put up a fight judging from those shouts earlier."

Eld smirk at his companion's comments, "In any case, let's head back to the horses." Turning to Eren, he congratulated him saying, "It looks like you've made it through your first mission, though I'm sorry we didn't make it all the way to Shiganshina."

"It's alright Sir." Eren smiled, "This just gives me more time to train in my titan form at the old HQ."

Eld return his smile, and the five took off toward their horses. Down the road, they heard another smoke flare go off.

"A green flare?" Gunther questioned. "It must be Levi, wanting to know our position."

Stopping to land, Gunther fired off his green flare.

"We can wait here for him to catch up."

Underneath the prior shot, a cloaked figure turned toward the direction of the response signal. Drawing two blades, they proceeded toward its location.

….

…

…

With the titans occupied with the Female Form's remains, Erwin lead the center rank back toward the entrance of the forest.

"Commander" Hange spoke riding next to him, "I saw Levi back there refueling his gear. Do you mind if I ask why?"

"Call it a hunch." he addressed

"Sir?"

Thinking for a moment, he asked, "While the Female Titan was being consumed, did you see the person inside be eaten?"

"No, I can't say that I did." she confessed, "Of course it got difficult to see with the steam and all. Either way, it's not likely the person escaped. Even if they could leave the body on their own, it still would have taken time to detach from it."

"Given the tactfulness of our enemy, we can't base our assumptions of their ability around Eren's experience with his titan form. Whether it is the Colossal, Armored, or the Female Titan, they have at least five years experience of handling their forms."

"So you believe the person inside the Female Titan got away?" she asked.

"Yes" he acknowledged, "…and given their MO, they could have donned our uniform and have maneuver gear. Meaning they are currently hidden among us, waiting for the right moment to strike again."

...

…

…

After waiting a couple of minutes, Squad Levi saw someone pull out ahead of them off to their side.

"He's here. Let's catch his attention." stated Gunther.

With that, they took off to catch Levi. Petra and Oluo continued to talk with Eren, each having opposing views on how he did on his first mission. Eren couldn't help but laugh at their shouting match.

Coming closer to their captain, Gunther called out to him, "Captain Levi!"

He didn't receive a response. That's when he noticed the two blades in the person's hands, immediately recognizing that it's not how Levi held them. With the hood covering the person's face, Gunther called out again and asked, "What's your name soldier, why are you out of rank?"

This time the figure quickly changed their direction by pushing off a tree, and headed straight for him. Before Gunther could react, the veiled figure sliced open the back of his neck killing him.

"Gunther!" Eren yelled rushing toward his body as it dangled from the wires of his gear. Reaching him and staring into his blank eyes shook Eren to his core. "Why?"

The attacker circled around the group, attempting to come in for another strike.

Quickly, Oluo swoop down towards Eren and picked him up. "Come on, we got to go!"

"But Gunther…" Eren began to protest.

"He's gone." Oluo stated plainly. He let go of Eren so he could swing through the forest on his own. "Eld, it looks like we're dealing with a traitor here."

Eren glanced back at the person pursuing them and bellowed, "Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"

"Don't try to reason with the senseless Eren." Petra called. Turning around in the air, she drew her blades. "I'm going to break you!"

At that point, the assailant fell back and dropped out of sight behind the trees. They all looked back, wondering what the person was up to when suddenly, a flash of light burst and filled the area. The next thing they knew, the Female Titan emerged heading directly for them.

"What! Wait a minute, where did she come from? I thought they caught it, so why?" Eren questioned. Then he realized the Female Titan appeared out of the same spot behind the trees their attack slip into. "Oh no, don't tell me…"

"It appears Gunther might have been right." Eld spoke with a grimace upon his face. "We're dealing with a titan shifter."

Eren persisted, "But…but that can't be! My father was the only one who knew how it worked, who knew the formula." Looking back at her he asked openly, "Did he give it to someone else?"

"We'll worry about those things later." Eld instructed, "Right now we need to rejoin the formation as quickly as possible."

The Female Type steadily gained ground in spite of their maneuver gear being faster than riding the horses. Eren grit his teeth and said, "We won't be able to outrun her. Even if we could, she would simply continue her rampage on other squads. I'll transform and fight her this time."

"Wait" Eld motioned just as Eren was readying himself to change. "We'll fight her Eren; you head on and rejoin the others."

"Sir I want to fight!"

"I know you do, but your power is still too risky." Eld stated. He could see in Eren's eyes his burning desire to fight and protect them all. Never have he seen such fire in one so young. "We now know this is no ordinary titan, but a person with cunning and experience. You're still new to this power so there's a good chance she would defeat you in combat."

"Sir I-"

"Remember what Levi said." Eld urged him, "You're special to humanity's cause in this fight. If we were to lose you, then we have lost period!"

"Hey runt" Oluo interjected, "Leave this fight to us. Or do you doubt the ability of the best titan slayers in the whole Survey Corps?"

"Eren" Petra called, getting his attention, "We'll bring her down. We won't let her escape to wreak anymore havoc."

Eren looked into their eyes, knowing they were probably right. Perhaps this fight should be experience versus experience. Taking one last look into the fierceness of the Female Titan's eyes, Eren turned and continued on full speed ahead. "I'm confident my team will win!"

Eld, Oluo, and Petra all nodded.

The Female Titan watched as Eren continued forward while the others turned to face her. She knew she would have to take care of them before she could reach her target.

Eld pushed ahead, meeting her head on. Preparing to strike, he suddenly stopped his momentum by using excess fuel and propulsion, creating a mass amount of exhaust steam, clouding her vision.

Under its cover, Petra and Oluo moved in close to the face. Appearing before her line of sight at the last second, they rapidly slashed through her eyes. No longer being able to see, all she could do was protect her nape with both hands.

Eren glanced back at the battle, seeing the Female Titan backing away onto a tree. 'Alright, they completely have her against the ropes! She should be without her vision for a minute according to battle tactics, I wonder if they can strike the nape by that time.'

Eld used hand signals and indicated they should attack the muscles in her arms. Without them, her arms will fall and leave her defenseless. They nodded and quickly went to work, sheering off muscle tissue after muscle tissue. Within a few seconds, she could no longer hold her arms in place, and they fell limp.

'So coordinated' Eren thought, amazed at the sight. 'Even with the lost of Gunther and in Levi's absence, they can still take down any titan, even a shifter. They will win!' Seeing enough, he turned his focus on joining the others within the center rank.

*******_"You have my permission to change and fight if you want to, yet you have a choice. The difference between you and the others is experience. They've learned to trust in the confidence of their superiors, having faith that their decisions will work out the best. So I offer you that choice. However, no one truly knows how things will turn out either way, so choose the one you will regret the least."_*******

For some reason, dread fell upon Eren's heart. 'What's this feeling?' he wondered. Turning around back at the battle, he watched Eld move in for the nape.

"This is for Gunther and all the lives you've taken!" he shouted.

In one swift motion the Female Titan turned toward him and caught him in her teeth.

"ELD!" Petra screamed.

He struggled frantically to break free, before the Female Titan clenched down, tearing him in half. Eld's lower half fell to the ground, before she spat out his upper half.

Eren couldn't believe what he just witnessed. Wasting no time, he broke off his current path, and made a mad dash back, hoping he could make it in time to save the others.

Petra began to fall away from the Female Type stunned, scaling the forest floor. "How could she see us?" she questioned. "It's only been about 30 seconds since we took out her eyes."

As she turned toward her, Petra then realized, only one of the eyes were restored. 'She cut the healing time by focusing on one of her eyes. Is that even possible?' Suddenly, the Female Titan charged for her.

Moving as quickly as he could, Oluo yelled out, "Petra you're too low! You won't be able to counter her at that position. We need to regroup!" Yet instead of heeding his words, she seemed spaced out, staring down her impending killer.

'We've failed.' Petra sadly thought to herself. 'I am so sorry Eren, Captain Levi! I wasn't strong enough.'

Eren pushed his mobility gear as fast as it could carry him, a death grip on the triggers. Then he realized he wasn't going to make it in enough time to stop the Female Titan. Not knowing what else to do, he cried out to the person inside her, "Please don't touch Petra! If it's me you're after, you can have me! Just don't hurt her!"

It was too late; the Female Titan was right on top of her. At the last second Petra snapped out of it, making an attempt to turn and escape. With tears in her eyes she cried, "LEVI!"

Her voice was silenced as her back was crushed against a tree. The Female Titan's foot was soaked with Petra's blood.

"WAAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAGHHHH!" Eren wailed.

Oluo looked on, knowing there was nothing he could have done to save her. Yet now, being close enough to his target's weak spot, he would make sure he avenges comrades' deaths.

"Hey" he spoke. She raised her head to the voice behind her. "DIE!"

With a burst of speed, Oluo rocketed forward and plunged his blades across the nape. They shattered on impact.

Unbeknownst to him, the Female Titan was able to crystallize her skin just before he swung through. In a flash, she counter attacked with a spin kick, hitting and killing him instantaneously.

With no one else to interfere with her task, she turned to look for Eren. Picking up the familiar sound of maneuver gear getting closer, she knew he saw what she did. She heard his last plea, but they weren't going to let her have him without a fight. What's done is done.

"You…" growled Eren as he reeled himself nearer.

With one eye still healing, she turned in his direction, preparing to subdue him.

"I won't forgive you." he said, another burst of fuel taking him closer.

His words were expected, but still they shook her to her core.

Flying right above her head, he shouted, "I'll kill you!"

Putting his hand in his mouth, he clamped down with rage. The explosion of light that followed blinded her, leaving her stunned just for a second.

Eren's titan form emerged midair and landed right on top of her, forcing her to the ground. With the muscle tendons in both arms still healing, all she could do was watch as Eren straddled her, roaring with bloodlust.

…

…

…

Mikasa, Sasha, and some others were making their way back to the entrance of the forest to rejoin their respective squads. Before they could reach their mark, the blast of a titan caused them to stop.

"**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRGHHH!"**

"Oh no, it's another rabid howl." Sasha squeaked.

"No, this one…sounds familiar." Mikasa noted. After recollecting as to where she heard the sound before, she finally realized who it belonged to. "It's Eren!"

Mikasa turned and raced back into the forest toward the roars.

Sasha shouted, "No wait Mikasa, its dangerous!"

…

…

…

Levi searched the area where he last left his squad. Remembering that he told them to travel a little further ahead and wait for him, he continued to travel along the path.

Further down he spotted the horses tied to a couple of trees, but he group was no where to be found. He figured they would have returned to the horses once the retreat signal was given, yet no one was here.

'I wonder where they could be?' he questioned.

"**GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGHHHHH!"**

Levi gritted his teeth at the sound. "Something has happened."

Hurriedly, he went in the direction of Eren's cries.

…

…

…

Eren balled his left fist tightly and brought it down toward the Female Titan with the intent smash her skull. She dodged the blow by moving her head, causing his fist to connect with the ground.

The force from the blow traveled up his arm, and caused bone to pop out from skin, ripping through tendon. Unable to move his left arm, he balled his right fist for another attack. Again she moved her head slightly to the side as it came down. This time the force traveled through the ground making an impact crater.

Eren looked at his right hand, and saw it torn from the joints in the wrist.

'**I made the wrong choice.'** Eren thought. **'If only I had decided to fight, everyone would be alive.'**

******* _Levi address them saying, "Everyone, our main job has always been to protect Eren at all costs. Not only does he hold the key around his neck that unlocks critical information concerning the titans, but he is the key to finally overcoming this 100 year siege on humanity."_

"_Remember this" he went on, "Even if we should die, someone will take our place. Yet Eren must go on. He could very well be our last hope. So we will continue to move forward."_*******

'**Why? Why does my life have to be so highly valued over the others? I left them to fight this battle, and because of that, everyone died. I will take this fact to my grave.'**

Tears began to form in his eyes from the guilt. Turning his attention back toward the Female Titan, he noticed she wasn't moving, but simply staring at him, perhaps waiting for her arms to heal before fighting back.

'**I played a hand in their deaths, but it still remains that you killed them!'** Eren raged within himself. The anger boiled over and he began to roar in her face.

"**GGRRRAAAAAAAAGGHHHHH! WOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHHH! ROOOOOOAAARRRRRGHHH!"**

It made him even angrier once she turned away from his pain, as if she felt sorry for him in some way. For a person trying to kill him, he probably would have found it funny if he wasn't so pissed off.

'**You look at me you bitch!'** he fumed. **'I am going to tear you to shreds! I'm going rip your fucking eyes out! I swear! I'll…I will…DEVOUR YOU!'**

His eyes began to roll back in his head as he started to lose touch with reality. His mind was being consumed by his titan body. It wouldn't be long before nothing was left of him.

Then suddenly he felt his opponent grab his arm, snapping him back. He looked down and saw her body has fully regenerated. Looking at his hand and left arm, he realized his own body had repaired itself.

While he was still slightly distracted, she used her grip on his arm to pull herself free from his hold. Eren quickly responded and threw a punch with his free arm, narrowly missing as she hug his mid-section and brought him close.

Eren tried to break free of the hold, not realizing she was using his struggle to coil her leg against his stomach. She powerfully tossed him back as she extended her leg out, creating distance between them.

She took this second to gain her bearings and try to figure out how to deal with Eren in his transformed state. To her surprise, she realized a second was not long enough as Eren closed the distance between them in a flash and aiming to take her head off.

She narrowly dodged his attack, and barely saw a second blow, rolling along the ground to escape it. Attempting to get up again, Eren was right there to meet her, rage evident in his eyes. It seemed the more she resisted and evaded his attacks, the angrier he would become.

Eren entered his stance and began a full on assault. Putting everything Annie taught him to use. Who'd thought he would actually be able to use her style to fight titans. However, this wasn't a titan he was fighting, but someone who can transform like him.

'**I will bring you down with Annie's technique!'**

A right and left jab, a high kick, an overhead elbow strike, a knee to the center, for some reason, the Female Type was able to avoid and parry all his moves.

He then drew all of his upper body strength into a powerful swing, but this time she countered. Crystallizing her right arm, she struck him in face, breaking his lower jaw. To her surprise, he didn't fall down. He again threw his upper body strength, scaling his upper row of teeth along her arm to keep her from moving, and landed an uppercut to her stomach, lifting her through the air.

She landed a short distance from him, and tried to balance herself against a tree. Eren once again charged for her not wanting to give her any time to recuperate. Jumping in the air, he performed a flying knee strike. The Female Titan forcefully pushed herself off the tree she was leaning against, allowing Eren to connect with it.

Stumbling away, she admitted her strength was beginning to decrease. After running for so long and having to transform twice, it was now taking its toll on her physical body. She had to end this with her next move.

With all his fire, the fight was also taking its toll on Eren.

'**How is it that this person is able to stand up against my technique for as long as she have?'** he wondered to himself. **'Annie would be ashamed of me if I couldn't bring this beast down. I'll end it with one move!'**

Eren stood off the tree he just struck, and turned to face her. Readying to attack, he suddenly froze, eyes wide with shock. Amazingly, the Female Titan took up the same stance as him. Crystallizing her left foot, she performed a power angle kick to his head, cutting straight through it and the tree next to him.

Eren's titan body fell to its knees. He was defeated.

…

…

…

Levi continued through the forest towards where he last heard Eren's roars. He was starting to become concerned as they suddenly went silent.

Another thing concerned him. If Eren transformed to fight what was surely the Female Titan, somehow having escaped the feeding frenzy earlier, it must mean the others had suffered a harsh fate.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his eyes fell upon Gunther, hanging from his gear. The worst part was looking at his wound at the neck. It's exactly the same type of strike that would kill a titan, but this was one his men.

Levi decided to move on. A little down the way he found Eld's upper half and a distorted Oluo. Then, once he found Petra, he stopped. He didn't know why he stopped for her. Perhaps it was because she was the youngest of the group, or maybe it was something else.

All he knew as he looked at her lifeless eyes staring toward the heavens, his life would be a little darker now that she was gone.

Firing a cable into the tree, he hoisted himself just above her. Taking a moment to wipe away the wet streaks around her eyes and closing them.

"You did a wonderful job Petra, all of you did." he spoke, "Eren will make all of you proud one day." Looking over to the side, he noticed some of the trees in the area were either cracked or moved out of place. It seemed to lead out like a path. "He must be having one hell of a battle."

With that, he took off to find him.

…

…

...

The Female Titan looked on Eren's headless titan form, her eyes steeped in sorrow. She remembered his words of never forgiving her, but once he finds out who she really was, she could only imagine the amount of pain he will feel.

Pushing aside those thoughts for now, she still had her mission to complete. She, Bertolt, and Reiner can finally return home in triumph once she retrieves Eren.

Steadying his body with her hands, she began to open her mouth. She took a huge bite out of the nape, and ripped Eren from it, securing him under her tongue.

From a tree not to far from her, Mikasa arrived just in time to see the act. She couldn't believe what she witnessed.

"Eren" she whispered, "Please...please don't leave me again."

When she thought he died in Trost, she almost gave up on her will to live. Yet she remembered him and that helped her to carry on, being elated later knowing he was still alive. Now, here was the feeling of emptiness again.

The Female Titan started to run off, and that's a when a fire lit inside Mikasa's psyche.

"Give him back!" shouted Mikasa. She fired her cables from tree to tree in a mad rush toward Eren's kidnapper. The Female Titan glanced back at her pursuer, covering her nape with her right hand. Mikasa caught up with her, and began her attack by cutting her cheek.

"I won't let you have him!" she snarled, cutting into the Female Type's side as she ran. Mikasa was much too fast to swat at with her free hand. Plus, it was hard to focus on running, securing Eren in her mouth, and fighting all at once.

A critical strike at her left thigh caused her to stumble. She momentarily removed her hand away from her weak spot to brace her fall, and Mikasa took this as her chance to kill her. Mikasa shot a cable into the tree next to where she fell, and zipped across her neck, making the blow, only to have her blades break due to the Female Type hardening her skin.

"What? Why didn't they penetrate?" Mikasa asked herself as she landed on the tree trunk. The Female Titan looked at her, and Mikasa returned the venomous glare.

Mikasa spoke, "I know he's alive, and I will take him back!" Through narrowed eyes, the Female Titan punched the tree Mikasa stood on, causing her to dodge. Taking the opportunity to move, she began to run away, Mikasa again giving chase.

Catching up to her, Mikasa prepared to unleash another barrage of attacks, but out of nowhere she was pulled back by someone.

"Let's keep our distance for now." the person said. Mikasa looked at their face, and saw it to be Captain Levi. He let her go, and she followed him a few paces behind the running titan.

"You're too reckless." Levi stated. "It's clear she was preparing for you to attack her blindly again."

Mikasa gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I don't care if I'm reckless." she told him, "I'm not going to let that thing get away with Eren."

Levi looked at the Female Titan's running form and somberly spoken, "I saw his disintegrating titan form back there. It looks like she took him right out of the nape and killed him."

"She didn't kill him. She has him in her mouth."

"How can you be sure she didn't swallow him?"

"As weird as it sounds, I just have a feeling this titan wants Eren alive."

Levi shrugged and replied, "Actually, it's not weird at all." He knew Mikasa didn't yet know the titan they were dealing with was actually a person just like Eren. "Yet still, I would like to base any action we take here on more than just a feeling."

"Well that's what I'm going to rely on!" she snapped, "Besides, you told me you would keep Eren safe. You gave me your word, and look what happened. I've already decided, I'm going to rescue Eren at all costs."

For a moment, he went silent. She was right in that he failed to protect Eren and even failed to protect his squad. Even if it's not likely, he owed her his trust.

"Alright" he agreed, "We'll work with the understanding that she has Eren in her mouth. Our mission will be to rescue him and head back to the others."

"What about the titan?" she asked, "We should get rid of her."

"Forget it. As long as she can harden her skin, we won't be able to finish her off."

"But she killed our comrades; we can't just let her go."

"Getting Eren is our priority. Adding to that will complicate things. There's still much we don't know about what she is so let's not take any risks. Besides, I'd like a second chance in keeping my word to protect Eren."

At this she gasped. Quickly regaining her composure, Mikasa agreed, "Alright Sir, I'm with you."

"Good. Now, it seems she is running at a slower pace than before, so there's a possibility she is tired. Ackerman, I want you to get ahead and distract her. Once you have her attention, I'll take that moment to strike and take out her ability to move. Once her defenses are down, that's when we go for Eren."

"Right"

Going forward, the two set the plan in motion to take Eren back. Levi steadily crept up behind the Female Titan while Mikasa swung low and out unto to her left.

'That's it.' Levi mused. 'Get out in front of her just a little more.' Levi drew his blades in preparation to make his move. This time, he flipped the blade in his right hand to maximize his rotation angle. He silently cursed himself for not being born ambidextrous.

Pulling out further ahead, the Female Titan finally caught sight of Mikasa, who turned toward her, blades drawn for attack. Yet she saw this tactic many times already during her rampage across the Survey Corps' formation.

Without hesitation, the Female Titan whipped around and threw a fierce punch in Levi's direction. To her surprise, it appeared her newly arrived challenger was waiting just for that reaction.

In a blink of an eye, he dodged and countered her jab in an almost vortex-like spinning motion, tearing her hand straight down the center and up her arm. Reaching her face, Levi plunged his blades into her eye sockets in an attempt to take away her vision. He gasped as they shattered before him.

'So, she can even crystallize her pupils.' he thought through gritted teeth. 'Looks like I'll have to be quicker.'

Using mostly the gas propeller in his gear and the momentum of his rotation, Levi slashed his way up and down her titan body. Mikasa looked on in wonder at the speed in which he was traveling and his efficiency. Yes, it was much more efficient than her attack earlier.

The Female Titan soon collapsed against a tree. All she could do was defend her weak spot, placing both her hands behind her lower neck. Yet, even that was proving difficult as Levi cut through all muscle tendons in her right arm, causing it to fall limp.

Knowing it wouldn't be long before her left arm became useless, she began to lower it as though it was already taken out.

Mikasa saw her nape come uncovered. Suddenly seeing this as her chance to simply end all this, she took it and began to move in for the kill.

Levi noticed Mikasa's movement, and knowing he had yet cut through all the muscles in the Female Form's remaining arm he yelled, "No, it's a trap!"

The Female Type immediately saw her coming, and used the last bit of strength in her hand to swat Mikasa away.

With the same speed he exhibited earlier, Levi managed to knock Mikasa out of the way. However, part of his left foot bristled with the titan's hand, causing it to snap out of place.

Grimacing through the pain, Levi launched himself toward the side of the Female Titan's face, and sliced through her temporomandibular joint. Zipping to the other side of her face and doing the same. When her lower jaw became slack and her mouth opened, Levi saw Eren's unconscious form began to slide from under her tongue.

'It looks like she was right. He was here the entire time.'

Quickly, Levi gathered him up, and took off. "Come on." he shouted to Mikasa, "We got what we came for, let's go."

Mikasa stared at the immobile titan a second longer before following after Levi.

"Sir, are you sure it's wise to leave her alive?" she asked him.

"Like I said before, we shouldn't complicate things. You said before that Eren was like family to you. Shouldn't your number one priority be to make sure he's safe?"

"Yes, of course it is." Mikasa confirmed both to him and to herself.

Levi looked behind them as they continue to move away. He wanted to make sure the Female Titan was still where they left her, and not being healed of her injuries and following them. Curiously enough she was where they left her and…

'She's crying?'

…

...

…

Atop Wall Rose around the city of Karanese, the guards of the Garrison Unit kept a constant visual of any wandering titans. As the sun began to set on the day, one of the guards caught sight of a green flare through his spyglass.

"Hey look, do you see that?" he asked the one next to him, "I thought the mission towards Wall Maria would take many weeks if not months to complete."

Handing the spyglass off, his partner took a look, and sure enough, he saw the familiar green smoke from one of their issued smoke flares. Not only that, but he also began to see a company of horses and their riders appear on the horizon.

He responded and said, "Well, it looks like that mission is another failure. No way they could have sealed up the wall and defeated all the titans within a day's time."

With disappointment on his partner's face, they began to alert everyone for the re-entry of the Survey Corps by ringing a grand bell.

By the time the Scouts reached the gate, the whole town was prepared to receive them, wanting to know how they fared. Once the gate was opened however, they could tell the mission was an utter failure. The amount of soldiers entering the city was less than when they originally left.

As they walked, murmurs could be heard among the crowd discussing their distaste in the continued efforts outside the walls.

"Why send our men and women out there to die for no reason?" one asked.

"If you ask me it's nothing but a waste of the public's money. We need to protect and live on the last bit of land we have left." commented another.

"It looks like that whole thing about the kid who could transform into a titan was a load of bull. We don't really have any hope going forward."

Laying down within one of the carts for the injured, Eren stared up at the sky. He was so angry at himself for all that happened that his vision started to blur due to tears threatening to fall down his face.

Riding next to him, Mikasa comforted him in saying, "Don't listen to them Eren. We will become stronger because of this. Next time, we will succeed."

Fortunately for the Survey Corps, they arrived at the gate during a time where it was free of wandering titans. So they could take their time and enter the city in calm fashion. Armin figured it must have to do with the Female Titan calling them all to attack the right flank, and that most of them were still in the forest.

Coming through the gate near the middle of the pack were Bertolt and Reiner. They both had serious looks on their faces. When they saw Levi and Mikasa arriving at the entrance to the forest with Eren in tow, they immediately thought the worst.

'Those two, did they…' Bertolt thought.

Further up ahead, a man spotted Levi from the crowd, and he walked over to greet him.

"Hello, Captain Levi! You selected my daughter Petra to join your operations squad." he announced. "She wrote me a letter a month ago telling her mother and I how excited she was when you picked her. Haha, of course she always admired you, in fact you were one of the reasons she joined the Survey Cops."

Levi remained expressionless as Petra's father went on to speak, not wanting to tell him his daughter died because of her devotion to him.

"I just missed seeing her off this morning." he continued, "So I'm sure she will be surprised to see me here for her return."

One of the last scouts through the gate was none other than Commander Erwin Smith himself. He rode in with the carts of those among the dead that they could recover from the battlefield. Once they saw the carts of bodies, people from the crowd immediately barraged Erwin with angered questions.

"Was your grand adventure outside the walls worth the lives of our children Erwin?"

"We deserve an answer Commander!"

"Their deaths are upon your head!"

Silently, Erwin continued to ride through. This was his second expedition into titan infested territory as commander, and his first real defeat. He was now beginning to understand the strain Shadis felt when he was commander, having the weight of the dead on his shoulders.

…

…

…

Two days have passed since their mission. Back at the old HQ site, Eren and Levi sat down to another meal in the quiet dining room that evening. Levi was yet to replace his squad with other soldiers, so for now it was just them and the few attending staff.

"I'm sorry Sir." Eren repeated himself for what seemed like the hundredth time since their return.

"Like I keep telling you" Levi groaned, "It's not your fault."

"But Sir, had I chose to transform earlier, everyone would still be alive. We might have even been able to continue the mission to Shiganshina, or at least captured that titan shifter."

"Hmmm, things could have turned out that way, or they could have turned out worse. Remember what I told you, there's no way to know for sure what the results will be from our choices."

After pausing for a second, Levi continued, "For what it's worth, I believe you made the right choice. It's true everyone gave their lives in the end, but I can tell you this. When you decided to put your trust in them, you made the group the happiest I've ever seen them since my time knowing them, especially Petra."

"Really?" asked Eren

"Yeah" Levi replied somberly, taking a sip from his tea. "She probably seen you as her little brother, so she was extremely proud of your growth out there on the field."

Eren looked down at his dinner plate; thinking on the four who risked their lives for his sake. He silently vowed to them that he would become a great scout and protect those around him in their honor.

"Anyway, enough of this damn chatting" Levi annoying stated, "Eat your dinner and get some rest. Who knows what task we will have to take on for tomorrow."

"Uh…yes Sir."

Before Eren could pick up his spoon, a knock came at the door.

"Captain Levi" one of the servants called through the door, "Commander Erwin is here to see you."

A look of question appeared on both his and Eren's faces.

As Erwin entered the room it was quickly made apparent that he wasn't alone. Among his own officers, Armin, Jean, and Mikasa were also with him.

"Hey guys" Eren greeted with surprise, "What are you all doing here?"

Before they could answer, Erwin addressed his question, "Eren, Levi, we have something important to discuss. Thanks to Arlert, we now know the identity of the Female Titan."

"What?" gasp Eren, "You…you know who she is?" He glanced at Armin expectantly, but for some reason his friend didn't seem to be too enthusiastic with the situation.

Levi put a hand on Eren's shoulder and said, "Wait, let's have everyone sit at the table. I'm sure they have a lot of information to tell us. Am I correct Commander?"

Erwin nodded and so, everyone gathered around the table and took a seat, waiting for him to begin.

"Levi, Darius Zackly and the higher ups are calling for me to report to Stohess, to give a report on Eren's performance on the battlefield."

"And they also want to talk with me." Levi presumed. "Being his overseer I'm sure they want to know if he caused any trouble this past month. I'm also guessing that means they want us to handover Eren while in Stohess?"

Again Erwin nodded, always pleased at the fact of how quick his captain caught on to situations and events.

With a look of acknowledgment, Eren announced, "Don't worry Commander; I'll be ready to address any questions or accept any judgment they may give me."

"Wait a minute Eren." Mikasa hurriedly objected, "They could give the order to have you dissected!"

Eren swallowed hard. He knew he couldn't look her in the eyes for what he was about to say next.

"I'm sorry Mikasa." he began, "I wasn't able to bring down the Female Titan and we ended up having to turn back. Who's to say if I could beat the Armored or Colossal if we should run into them, or worse? Perhaps being dissected and examined is the best route to ensure our success. Perhaps whatever is in my dad's basement could be learned by studying my body."

Mikasa shook her head, angry at his suggestion, "Eren you're taking this too far. Have you ever stopped to think about the feelings of those around you? How would they feel if you were to die?"

For a second, her words flashed across his mind. She and Armin have lost many loved ones already. Not too mention all of his friends, who he inspired to join the Survey Corps. They would be devastated if they learned he was gone.

'And Annie' he thought.

He made her a promise that he would return to her and they would start a family. If he were to die, she would be absolutely devastated, and it would all be his fault. That was why she wanted him to forget her, to move on. She always knew he would die in this war one way or the other, but he gave her false hope.

Now should he die, Annie will be crushed beyond repair, and he wouldn't be around to comfort her.

Through clenched teeth, Eren spoke, "I'm sorry Mikasa. I…we can't be selfish about this. It's always been about what is best for mankind."

"Eren-"

"Hold on just a minute." Levi interrupted Mikasa's response. He then looked at all those assembled at the table. Turning to Erwin he asked, "You're planning something aren't you Erwin? Does this relate to the person inside the Female Titan?"

"You're correct again Levi." Erwin confirmed. Turning to Eren he spoke, "Eren, you're still much more useful to us alive. The enemy wanted to take you that way, so they deemed you special enough even to the point of canceling their plans to break through the other two Walls."

"I see" Eren breathed. "So, who is the Female Titan and where is she now? If she's still out there, she could possibly murder more people from the inside. In that manner she killed Gunther."

Levi's eye twitched thinking about how he found Gunther's body.

"According to Armin" Erwin started, "She's an MP and her unit is currently stationed in Stohess. When we arrive there, I plan on using you to draw her out. If we're successful, I'm sure I can convince the Commander in Chief of your continued usefulness to the Survey Corps."

Eren stood up in resolve. "Alright Sir, this time I'm sure we'll be able to capture her. I'm ready to make this person answer for her crimes, but more importantly I want to know how she has her abilities and why she used them against us."

"That's good to hear Eren." answered Erwin, "However I don't believe this will come easy for you considering who we are dealing with."

Eren shook his head and said, "No Sir, it doesn't matter who she is. I'm prepared to do what I have to." He noticed Armin flinch uncomfortably to his side. It then hit him the possibility he may know this person. Glancing up at Mikasa and Jean, he tried to pick up their vibes on the situation, but was met with something of a remorseful look.

Hesitantly speaking this time, Eren decided to ask, "Who is she?"

"She's a graduate from your former trainee squad." Erwin answered him.

"Wait a minute. That-that can't be Sir. Wait, if she is with the Military Police, no, don't…don't tell me…"

"Her name is Annie Leonhart."

Instantly Eren legs began to lose their strength and he had to sit down. All he could do was stare at the table, his brain tried and failed to compute what he just heard.

"No" Eren opposed, "This must be some mistake. What proof do you have?"

Levi's eyebrows rose at his sudden change in attitude. Eren was one who usually showed respect to his commanding officers, even to the point of nauseation. Yet now, he was openly questioning the Commander.

Instead of answering his question himself, Erwin turned toward Armin to answer. Armin told him that Annie and Eren were close friends. It's better if another close friend convinced him of this unfortunate circumstance.

Armin began to speak, "Jean, Reiner, and I encountered the Female Titan before we reached the Forest of Giant Trees." Eren gasped and turned toward Jean. He nodded in confirmation.

Continuing, Armin said, "During our battle, she made it a point to examine our faces before she attacked, meaning she was looking for someone in particular. On a couple of occasions she refused to kill me. So in all likelihood she knew who I was. After narrowing things down, I quickly surmised the person she was looking for was you Eren. I then yelled out and mentioned you died while fighting titans, using your alias from our days at the academy, and she froze up. Only someone from the 104th would know that name."

Pausing for a bit, he could see Eren was struggling with what he had to say. "The biggest reason why I believe its Annie is I'm almost positive she had something to do with the incident around Sawney and Bean's deaths. She would have had the skill to eliminate them and escape without notice."

"Wait a minute Armin." Eren interrupted, "Everyone was cleared in the investigation of their deaths, including Annie."

"Yes, she was cleared, but when we presented our maneuver gear for inspection, she didn't have her own gear but Marco's."

"What, Marco? What does he has to do with this?" asked Eren.

Armin sighed deeply. "I don't what she was doing with his gear, but we must assume she took it post-mortem or…"

"Hold on are you saying Annie killed Marco!" Eren angrily questioned.

"I don't know for sure Eren." Armin responded. "All I know is I saw her with his ODM gear at the inspection. I recognized his mechanical work within the slots of the blade compartments."

Eren clenched his fist and spat, "I think you need to have your damn eyes checked."

"Alright that's enough." Levi told Eren. He could really tell this news was unsettling the young man. Turning toward Armin he remarked, "That's a lot of evidence, but at best it all seems circumstantial. Is there anything concrete to say it's her with 100% certainty?"

"No Sir, I suppose not 100% certainty." Armin answered truthfully. "However after seeing her facial expressions during my battle with the Female Form, she does look like Annie."

That was the last straw for Eren. He got up out of his chair and grabbed Armin by the collar. Harshly, he threw him against the table and held him there.

"That's your proof? She looks like Annie!" Eren snarled, "How dare you begin to compare her to that monster Armin!"

Mikasa rushed over and attempted to lightly push Eren off of Armin. Never in a million years did she ever think Eren would treat him in such a manner.

"Eren what has gotten into you?" She berated.

"What's gotten into me? He's the one accusing our friends of murder Mikasa!" Eren contended, still having a firm grip on who he thought was his best friend.

Armin struggled against his hold, but Eren wasn't letting up, even at Mikasa's urging. He wanted to punch Armin for accusing Annie. His Annie!

Then Eren felt someone tug on his jacket at the shoulder, catching his attention. He looked and saw Jean, standing with an irritated look on his face. "I think you need to take a minute and calm down." said Jean.

"You better get away from me right now." Eren shoved his hand away.

"What you think this is easy for Armin?" Jean exclaimed, pointed toward him. Eren saw nothing but a very hurtful expression on Armin's face, perhaps partly due to Eren attacking him. Jean continued and asked, "You think this is easy for any of us? No one wants this to be her, or anyone from our trainee squad. Yet if she had anything to do with Marco's death…"

"She didn't kill him!"

"Eren" Mikasa called to him, momentarily catching his attention away from Jean. "You fought with the Female Titan in physical combat. Tell us, was there anything familiar in the way she fought you? Did she use any of Annie's techniques?"

He began to think long and hard. Interestingly enough, this was the first time he thought on his actual fight with the Female Titan since it happened. He found it strange how she seemed to know all his moves and was able to counter them. Though it was her last move, just before he blacked out, that truly caught him off guard. Her form, the angle of her kick, it was all too recognizable.

'No' He reasoned to himself. 'There is no way Annie is the Female Titan! The true culprit must have some ability to analyze and copy her opponent's moves.'

"No Mikasa, it's not her, it can't be." Eren solemnly answered.

"What makes you so sure Eren?" she continued to push, "Why are you so defensive of her?"

"It's not her!" he shouted.

"Alright everyone take a seat." Erwin's voice sounded.

They moved to do so, and waited for their commander to continue. At this point, Eren was too exhausted to say much of anything else.

Having the floor, Erwin announced, "Tomorrow we will head to Stohess. Eren, the Military Police will be expecting you to escort you to a waiting room while they deliberate your future. However, once we arrive at the gate, a stand in will go in your place, and you will enter the city along under the guise of a random soldier. Inside, you will draw Annie out and lead her to one of the underground tunnels within the city. We will ambush and capture her there, as she won't have room to move should she transform."

"Sir I-" Eren began.

"This is not up for discussion." Erwin cut him off. "If Leonhart is not the Female Titan, she will be cleared of suspicion. However, if she does turn out to be her, and should she transform before she arrives at the tunnel, you will engage and do your best to restrain her. We will assist you in any way we can if that were to happen."

Erwin could see the conflict that must be raging within him. "Eren, remember why you are here. It may be hard for you to hear our suspicions of a friend, but as a soldier you carry on, no matter how tough things get. I suggest you think on your reasons for joining the Survey Corps."

After going over a few more particulars, Erwin and the rest left to prepare for tomorrow. Levi also moved to head out to get some rest, but noticed Eren still sat at the table.

"Hey" he called to him, "I can't say I know what you're feeling, but I honestly hope your friend is not the Female Titan. Even though it would probably look awful if we're wrong about this, for your sake I would be willing to accept the consequences from the higher ups if we're wrong."

All Levi heard in response, "It's not her."


End file.
